04 December 2017

Quest To Finding Myself: Toxicity of Too Much Social Media



My first post back since August was talking about how much I've lost who I am. I've felt like I'm so far gone from who I thought I was. Constantly comparing myself to others and really just trying to fit in with the fold. Whoever they are. I'm trying to take some major steps back to be able to chip away at the facade of trying to be like others and discovering who's really underneath.

First tiny step I've taken was to try and wean myself off of social media, much like a baby growing accustom to solid food after having nothing but their mothers milk. Quite the metaphor but you get my point. As much fun as social media is, it's also very toxic if you let it take over your life. Which is definitely what I did. Now, I understand how it might be important especially in the blogging world. Constantly keeping engaged and current is crucial for maintaining an up to date blog with your audience. I would know because I do just the opposite. But putting that aside, and not thinking about social media helping your hobby or work, the majority of us are on it from the moment we wake up to the minute we go to bed.

You might ask, "What does social media have to do with finding yourself?" Great question. You ask a lot of great questions. (Let's see if my friends caught on to that one.) Daily, I'd go between Facebook, twitter, Instagram,  and Snap Chat and then just circle those for hours on end. Not only is that a waste of time that you could be enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, a walk around the park, or quality time with family and friends but I feel it's a bit harmful to your self confidence as well. I know that was a huge leap from treading the countryside to how one thinks of one self but it's true. At least in my case. I'm always comparing myself to the other girls I see on Instagram - how they look, act, talents, etc. The successful bloggers on twitter and how I wish my blog was like theirs or even people I know personally and what they might have achieved in life.

With all that said, I decided to start slow and log off my Facebook for a few days. I think I'm a good five days strong as I'm writing this (Update: since I take so long to upload my posts, I've officially been off for nearly 2 weeks). I know Facebook is just one app out of many and I still have been using my other social media but I'm trying to start slow. For a person who checks their social media almost every 5 minutes, cold turkey would set me up for failure.

By no means am I saying you have to shut off any and all social media you have or that social media will make you insecure with yourself. I'm just writing out the steps I'm taking to have a better mindset about myself, wholesome living and finding myself again. This does not mean I'll delete all my social media and throw out my phone. Everything in moderation. I'm just hoping by shutting off my social media every now and then will just help me focus on me, instead of what everyone else is doing.

As I continue to lessen my time on social media, I'll be sure to keep you updated on how that's working and what I'm doing to better myself in placement of just scrolling the depths of the internet for hours on end.

Thanks for tuning in.

Jay