Do I consume social media or is it slowly consuming me?
Yet many of us have our reasons for staying in the game.
I find these platforms consistently distract from my most important work.
Its a huge cost that I just cant ignore anymore.
Ive attempted on several occasions to rise above the addiction, placing heavy restrictions on my daily usage.
Good intentions only got me so far.
That is, until a few weeks ago.
I have finally decided that social media steals too much of my time and attention to warrant continued investment.
For 2021, Ive chosen a more clear-cut approach to handling social media:online grid-cutting.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
On a sunny day in the late 2000s, Mom snapped my photo and uploaded it to her computer.
There I was, a freshman, grinning and backlit in front of her blinds.
Not candid or stylish just a grainy placeholder photo to help me complete my Myspace profile.
Unlike most hobbies and habits I picked up in high school, this one stuck.
The longer I was on social media, the more weekly time I invested in each platform.
But the benefits did not come without their costs.
The most obvious cost was my time.
According toStatista, the average daily social media usage was 144 minutes in 2019.
But on its own, sunk time doesnt directly equate to a lack of value.
I think the most apt analogy Ive heard is that social media is like cognitive junk food.
These sites emphasize headlines and hot takes rather than depth and nuance.
Just give me the real thing.
Give me depth, substance, and real connection.
And what about creators who only use social media to spread and publish ideas?
Newport writes at the intersection of professional development and technology.
As a copywriter, deep work is how I make my living.
Unbroken, focused attention is what pays the bills and moves my business forward.
When something gets in the way of writing, it interferes directly with my earning and career potential.
And nothing pulls me away from writing faster than Twitter, Facebook, or even LinkedIn.
What began as an innocent high school hobby now steals so much of my time and attention.
I knowingly bleed productivity every week.
The choice isntwhetheryou use social media, buthow.
A singular sense of purpose gives you focus and clarity.
What will a return to focus mean for me this year?
Maybe Ill publish more articles in more reputable magazines than any year before or earn a book contract.
Think about when was the last time you texted someone, How are you?
Without the crutch offeelinglike I know friends from updates from social media, Ill have to be more proactive.
Ill have to ask.
Of course, theres a possibility that things go counter to my plan.
Maybe a year without social media will change the way I see it.
If Im honest, I doubt thatll be the case.
I have a hunch that Ill never choose to go back to social media.
Or maybe its a prayer.
Either way, Im out.
