Existing without social media
There is a part of me that craves a lifestyle without social media. No more scrolling, no more random messages, no more curating a lifestyle that isn’t totally real (because no matter how hard you try, can you really be authentic and transparent on social media?). What I’m currently doing isn’t working. I spend hours a day, whether intentionally or not, on social media. Sometimes consuming, sometimes creating, always wasting time. I started coaching to coach, so why am I spending far more time on this mind-numbing machine than on coaching?
This is a thought that has been crossing my mind a lot today: What if I lived without social media? How could my life be better with less social media? What if my coaching practice didn’t have a social media presence?
I’ve thought, “If I’m not on social media, how will I add value?”
Ha. How ridiculous is that? Social media has been around for a decade. People have been adding value to others since the beginning of human existence. And yet, I bet you’ve thought you couldn’t live without it, too.
I love writing a blog, and I love creating videos. This little section of the internet that I can create with no rules, is fantastic. The part I don’t like, is the nasty comments, the mindless dribble that I get in my inbox: “hey.” and the endless hours of wasted time checking every single notification. This is not value. This is not living a meaningful life.
Deleting social media:
Pros:
More time.
Fewer distractions.
Less stress.
More meaning.
Cons:
Harder to be found (but maybe that’s a good thing, too?).
No way to share your content.
Harder for people to reach you.
Here are some options I’m considering:
Deleting/hiding all of my public social media accounts
Keeping the accounts, but deleting my access to them. Aka, people would still be able to find me and follow me, but I wouldn’t be present.
Just keeping the accounts that add true value: YouTube, my personal Facebook account (for my friends and family only, with News Feed Eradicator turned on).
Having no online presence… at all. Going totally off the grid. Word of mouth only. This is the option I’m least considering, but I like to keep it open.
I’ll keep you posted on what I choose. Or maybe I won’t. Then you’ll know I’ve gone with option four.