The Anti-Social Network

A short while ago I took a very bold, if not large, step for a millennial by disabling the Facebook app on my phone. In so doing, I have experienced an incredible freedom from social pressure and my social media experience has been so much more positive. Now I'm not a Facebook hater. I think its a great tool for keeping track of friends, loved ones, odd school acquaintances, your crush, and I guess relatives.

The point that I want to make is that social media, at least in my life, in many ways has become the embodiment of the expressions "too much of a good thing is a bad thing" and "less is more."

Up until a few weeks ago, I was the type of person that would check Facebook on my phone, then hop onto my computer and the first place I would go is Facebook only to see all the same stuff that I just looked at on my phone. Pretty silly right? More like sad, but true.

Spending all of that time on social media is like hanging out with all of your friends, all of the time, at the same time. At first that might sound appealing, but the more I think about it the more cringe worthy the notion becomes.

Two summers ago, a good friend and I had a competition to see who could get more Instagram followers from the summer camp that we worked at. I remember spending each day looking for the perfect photograph to post, picking out the most relevant hashtags, figuring out the optimal time to post for maximum exposure. Then pacing like an expectant father waiting for the likes to pour in.

Like the me from two years ago, in today's world many people look to social media for validation. Success is measured in "likes" more than merit. To many, a heavy social media presence represents a busy and fulfilling life. The lack thereof represents disappointment and failure. Often people are unhappy because they have nothing noteworthy or inspiring to post on Facebook or Instagram. Its a very dangerous and very simple trap to fall into.

As for me? The first few days following disabling Facebook on my phone were a little tough. I suddenly had a lot of spare time that was begging to be filled by something. At first I fell right back into the trap I had just clawed out of by spending more time on Instagram. What can I say? I love looking at pictures.

Once I got past that initial hurdle things became much easier. I set boundaries for myself. I limited myself to only checking social media twice a day. I have renewed my commitment to stop hitting the "like" button on posts. The "like" button is a tool for the casual. If I actually like something I verbalize it, but in writing. Textualize it? I think that's a word. Its probably a word. The most important boundary and by far the most difficult was the commitment to not compare myself to others based on what they post compared to what I post. I will not let my value or happiness be determined by someone else. Instead of keeping up with the Kardashians, I'm keeping up with myself.