How I Realized That Social Media Was Making Me Unhappy 

It’s 2016 right? So nowadays twitter, facebook, instagram, and snapchat are your daily go to sources for just about everything. Some wake up to it, others go to sleep to it, either way we just can’t help but to tap into it at some point of our day, one way or another. Want a reminder of who has a birthday or like to read tragic news stories, seek Facebook. Looking for the livest party scenes or streams of narcissism, hit insta. Simply want to be nosey and find out if your “super conscious friend” from the gram is a stripper on weekends and weeknights, believe me, snapchat will tell you.

For some reason, social media has translated personal life into social life and as a result there is no real sense of privacy and what was once reality has turned completely artificial. From paid marketing to straight fronting for the gram, people have taken a liking to watching and creating lifestyles that they’re really just not living.

So what is it about the damn internet that we just can’t get enough of?! Is it the social debates, the ingenious commentary of some of our favs to follow, or the fact that it’s an easy in between pass time for the monotonous and boring day to days of life? Whatever your reasonings are, social media has its way of not only luring you in, but definitely keeping you plugged. It’s as if the brain has undergone chemical changes that make it almost natural and instinctive for you to click the link at least 50x a day!

Let’s face it, as fun and flighty social media may present itself to be, it’s an addiction that we just can’t seem to get enough of. And like any other addiction it can cause some extreme side effects that sometimes we tend to not take as seriously as we should.

Yeah it’s cool that it gives you tons of insight on ways to work out, be inspired, “stay woke” and live healthier lives, but has it ever made you feel like you were lacking certain strengths or inadequate physically? Has it ever subconsciously made you feel the need to compare your life to other complete strangers called “friends” that troll your timeline?

Has it ever made you question whether you’re really living life to the fullest, be it vacationing, grooming, or the appearance of your life accomplishments in comparison to others?

Has it become a popularity contest to you or even a business asset? Has it made you ashamed and impressionable at times for the choices you’ve made in life? Has it brought to your attention, on many occasions, issues with why you’re not a parent yet, not married yet, or how you have way too many kids or not parenting correctly? Has it sort of made you judgmental yourself, caught up in the lies of comparison and the joys of feeling included? Have you gone slightly insane just trying to keep up without even realizing? Can we say anxiety overload! I mean really the list of questions can go on and on, but you get the gist.

I’ve begun to notice that the good qualities and intent of social media, have often been outweighed by the bad, thus making indulging in it, even at the most minimal level, a bit daunting and somewhat overwhelming.

Of course you can edit your following and all that jazz, to dedicate your social sites to things you prefer to see, but eventually something or someone will always seep through. So with all of these things in mind, I asked myself the question, how did I get here?

“In solitude, there is healing. Speak to your soul. Listen to your heart. Sometimes in the absence of noise we find the answers.” — Dodinsky

A few weeks ago, I began a sabbatical from all the chaos that is social media and the immediate results were pretty interesting. I found myself in an actual mental state of peace. A peace from not being up on the latest and some relief from not being traumatized by shared visuals of the many torments going on in the world. Relaxed and tranquil, caught up in the simple pleasures of doing unpredictable things with people that I love, and content knowing there would be not one ounce of evidence (fb pic or instagram vid) that would show for it. I realize that I cherish these moments way more.

I sort of felt guilty at times for finding pleasure in really living in the moment and not being so accessible. You know, reading, dancing, meditating, praying, cooking, eating, and simply engaging intimately with no distractions or outside influences involved. Throughout the day there was just so much silence. I found myself embracing the silence. A silence that was uncomfortable at times but so very much needed. I felt my breaths. I was more aware of my emotional state of mind. More focused. Mind clear. More relaxed. More productive. More creative. More in tune with self overall.

It may sound a bit crazy, but I seriously felt healed! Like a reset button was clicked and everything I knew of everyone else and their shenanigans had been deleted. No more shared feelings, bogged emotions from past memories, unease from remarks left unsaid, disdain from past experiences, angst from just wanting more. Everything obsolete.

So here I am, three weeks later, slightly dreading the idea of peeking back into the social media game, mainly for business more than pleasure, and with one finger tap immediately it begins:

“Ugh I hate my job!”
“Is it Friday yet?”
“Another vacation booked!”
“I’m so bored.”
“X and Z in a relationship”
“Level up.”
“Peace and love to all.”
“Last night was so wild yo!”
“So and so is beefing again and it’s getting juicy!”
“WCW”
“You deserve better, can’t change people.”
“Launching my new brand!”
“Hoes are winning!”
“Look at me, I’m getting thinner!”
“Blah. This election is a joke.”

Another share this prayer. Another child missing repost. Another cute baby pic. Another relationship ended. Another……..and then it hits me. Has social media been making me slightly manic depressive?

Quickly Logs OFF!