My Social Media journey (Why I deleted my Facebook)

A few weeks (months? I don't remember...) after Jude was born, I deleted my Facebook. I love social media and thrive off that interaction (and any social interaction, really). As I held this new baby in my arms, my priorities got really clear. I realized I didn't want to spend my precious, all-too-quickly-moving moments on Facebook the time sucker. I needed to spend my time with my dear little one and doing things to enrich our lives, which I felt Facebook did not. It was definitely not "best" of good, better, best and no matter how I would try to rationalize it, it was not enriching me and my family's life for good. I was pretty big into it, so I initially just deleted everyone but family and very close friends. This did not prove to be helpful. People became hurt when they realized I "unfriended" them, and I still spent more time than I wanted to on it. I made the decision to completely delete it, although it wasn't easy to make that final click, I knew it was for the best. I imagined myself trying to check it and then in a shock of depression realizing it was... gone. I was pleasantly surprised when I never missed it. Honestly, I never did!

Two years later, I've pretty much grown to despise it. Maybe like how when people quit smoking they learn to just loathe and avoid it at all costs? It's certainly not the Facebook it used to be. It was nice back in the good old days when it was only allowed with a college student email address and only status updates and pictures. That was it. Now it is a pandemonium of news videos, random pictures with useless print on them, and pictures of people you don't even know (but your friend's mom commented on it...). 

Anywho... I got a little off topic there. When my parents got me an iPad mini for my birthday a year ago, I took the jump and got Instagram. It's simple. No ads. Just pictures with a little caption blurb. It's pleasant and easy and doesn't throw me into sensory overload. Before long I started "following" random people/businesses and it was filling up with more "stuff." I was talking about social media with a friend and she recommended that I cut my friends down. Nice. Why I hadn't thought of that is beyond me. It's much better now. I don't spend nearly as much time in there because my "feed" is slow moving. But I still think I check it too much.

After the New Year I resolved to cut back on Instagram and decided to delete the whole app from Monday through Friday and then reinstall it for weekends only. I did it for one week and then never redeleted it, but that week was nice. Just easier. I didn't have to check it all the time. I was just able to focus more on my little family and what matters most.

After the New Year, I had several resolutions/goals written out, but with the baby's birth being so close, I could only focus on my one goal of having him naturally. Now that I was able to do that, I can focus on my other goals! It's nice to have my biggest goal accomplished and that positivity to push me forward.

If I check Instagram several times throughout the day for a couple minutes each time, that time really adds up. What else I could I do with that time? To be honest, it will be probably just be cleaning or the usual daily tasks, but maybe something more someday when life settles down a little bit? I'd like to spend any "spare" time I have learning and practicing new skills that will better myself/are more productive like sewing, crocheting, or blogging (my family journal).

So that's my little social media journey. (I spared you of my Myspace days.) Maybe you want to join me on my quest to use my time wisely and limit social media? I already have one friend (mentioned above) who is going to delete her Facebook for the same reasons I did! What ways have you found successful to limit your time on social media and spend your time doing good things? I find it more and more difficult to find that healthy balance when we all have instant access to everything anytime. I still don't have a smart phone, but just my iPad mini has really made it so much easier and faster to me to just "check something real quick." What ways have you found successful to limit your time on social media and spend your time doing good things? I would love to hear!