Ok, I get it…old hat, right, right. How ironic is it that I have written this post to primarily appear on social media (my Twitter account).
With regards to the subject of this post, I’ve read what feels like a countless number of articles on reducing social media distraction/improving productivity – and after all is said (read) and done, the simple bottom line is – just (don’t) do it – close the tabs, kill the notifications, put the phone in the other room, delete the apps etc.
I will attest, from experience, that for the first time since 2008, I’ve lost the desire to spend a very great deal of time on Facebook, to the point of it being down to five to ten minutes a day only to check on the few FB groups I am an admin on. This final new found freedom is more than very nice. Similarly, I’ve been off Instagram for a month now and I’m feeling the same about that platform. What is left, is Twitter, a platform I’ve been an early adopter of (since November 2006). The truth is, as toxic as Twitter has been known to become, I draw value from it – it feeds my ever-increasing knowledge of topics I’m interested in – and the type of feeds that do this are 95% of the time not personal feeds, so by tailoring my followers list, I avoid a lot of what I consider to be toxic, immature, foolish, etc (sometimes that leaks through via other user retweets, but…what can I do there? It’s not frequent).
Anyway, as I enter in to the last quarter of the year, this second annual sabbatical ended up better than last year’s. My hope is to redirect the time spent on social media as I did, to accomplish much more, in preparation for 2020.
oceans of rhythm,
Fresh
As always you hit the bullseye several times. Every day is a day coming to the conclusion that FB and IG are social sites are more of a time waste than a contributor. Great post Brother.
I have an on again, off again relationship with social media. When I have time for it, I’ll log on, and when I don’t want to be bothered with it, I don’t.
I’m no longer on Facebook, because I grew frustrated with it. Instagram grew on me, and I use it mostly as a ‘look book.’ There’s music, shopping, and jokes to make me smile, which is necessary on some days. Let’s not forget that IG has some great photography here and there, to go along with my one million mediocre selfies.
I appreciate Twitter for the wealth of information that’s shared there. Some of the best professional development for teachers that I’ve received has been on Twitter. I’ve received links to helpful articles and resources, as well as ideas and helpful suggestions, which is greatly appreciated.
My social media use is mixed. There’s a little bit of just about everything with me…Some seriousness and some silliness. For my more serious side, I’ll post my thoughts on my blog site. There’s also an overload of unwanted/unnecessary posts as well. I try not to get worked up over the frustrations of social media. There’s a block button to use, and as stated earlier, social media is there when you want it to be, and can be ignored when you want to do that.
Thanks for posting Mr. Fresh.
Samara,
Thanks for this insightful reply. I can relate to your reasonings in SO many ways. We seem to be of kindred spirits regarding how we find value in Twitter. I remember your blog from way back – I used to read it, but forget the URL right now. I’ll hit you up on Twitter for that and add it to my blogroll (how timely!). Thanks again!
U know this is a constant and evolving topic between us, bro. Thanks for the comment.
Thank you. I’ve made some changes to my blog over the years. Here it is:
http://samaramarie.com
Samara,
Thank you so much. Adding it under the category “Favorite Blogs”. Have a great night!
Great perspective, as always. For those of us who take regular sabbaticals from Social Media, how have our behaviors changed after each sabbatical? If you were to graph your SM usage, is it a line that goes down (decreased usage) after every break, then shifts back up over time? Do we, like MrFresh, shift usage to a more meaningful platform?