Have you ever taken a social media break? I've heard of friends taking time away from Instagram or Facebook. They always come back saying they feel so refreshed.
However, I've always viewed social media as part of my "job." I've often felt like I used the excuse of needing to stay up-to-date on what's going on as a reason to not be able to purge this, oftentimes, meaningless connection from my everyday life.
Now, I do want to say, I don't think ALL social media is bad. However, for me, these apps and the time I've spent on them have taken up way to much of the one that I can never make more of; time.
I've been addicted to the perceived connection that these apps conveniently bring me. Although, if I stop and think about it, it's more voyeristic than a true connection to any friendship I truly cherish. How often do I mindlessly scroll, like a photo and then continue to scroll again? Before long, I notice that I've been scrolling for 15 minutes...30 minutes...an hour...or longer! That's time I could have checked in on a friend; made a real connection. That's time I could have sat down and read a story with my daughter. That's and extra five or ten minutes I could have spent on the phone with my mom instead of rushing off.
I don't know about you, but for me, in order to change a habit this strong in my life, I have to do something drastic.
I'm in a men's LifeGroup at Real Life in South Austin. We're currently reading through Proverbs and discussing what God brings to light through His word in our lives. Today, one verse stuck out to me. In Proverbs 25:28, it says "A person without self control is like a city with broken-down walls."
A city with no wall is a city that's prone to attack from it's enemy. Without self control, there's no hope of solving the other issues we come across from day to day. With tragedy and turmoil at every turn these days, and those tragedies exploited on social media like chachkies (no idea how to spell that...just sound it out) at a carnival, the one thing I can control is how I react, respond and move accordingly. But, it starts with self control. Self...ME...making wise and conscience decisions.
So, for a minimum of the next 90 days, I'm taking a social media "break"! The only updates I'll be sharing are here in this blog. If you're truly interested, follow along. I'm making the commitment to document this journey each day. One day's post may be short and the next day, not so short. But, I hope when it's all said and done, we both benefit from this disconnection from things that consume what we'll never get back.