Saying Goodbye to Social Media: A Step Towards Simplified Living

Social Media was Comfortable

Since the day I begged my parents for a Facebook at the beginning of high school, social media has always been a big part of my life. I cringe now when I say that “(social media) has always been a big part…”, largely because I’ve recalibrated my life to involve the complete opposite. Social media was always a good tool for me. As a loud introvert, self described, I mostly enjoy being home, spending time with family and a few of my closest friends. Apart from ministry, I rarely open my world up to new people or new things. Going back to when I first introduced myself on this page, I described my husband as the go-getter, always ready for another adventure. That is simply not me. Thank God I have him, though, because he helps to push me out of my comfort zone.

Social media platforms helped me to maintain a level of “social” while keeping me in the comfort of my own world. I used social media for a long time to follow old friends or peers, coworkers, and more. It was a good means of keeping in touch and maintaining relationships at a distance. As these platforms expanded to more than just personal bios, I enjoyed following mom blogs, healthcare profiles, recipe pages, Christian influencers, etc. It provided me a wealth of knowledge. You all know by now that I just adore my family. I truly loved to show my cute kids off and relished in the feedback from others. These platforms served as a means to stay connected in a very convenient way.

Screen Time Awakening

My mouth dropped the day my phone gave me the average amount of screen time I was spending per day. I began to avoid even looking at it. I wondered how I could physically spend THAT much time on a device. I understand that some of the screen time involved essential things, or even music for my daughter’s daily, solo dance party, but really how did screen time add up to hours?! Couple that with all of the divisive content that is pushed online these days, I found myself in a very overwhelmed and frustrated position. I realized that social media was becoming the gasoline that was keeping a fire burning inside of me. This fire could not be smothered because the source of its energy was not being cut off.

Lack of Boundaries, Abundance of Anxiety

I remember saying to my Brett, “please show me how to set a timer on everything!”. I collectively took every app that could be considered social media, even Pinterest for the interim, and put a 30 minute timer on it. Try setting a 30 minute timer on everything and you will see how quickly it goes by. I was mindlessly scrolling with no aim. I had the world at my fingertips, yet it was not producing anything fruitful in my life. I had boundless information at my fingertips, and yet it was all too overwhelming. That feeling of “I can’t keep up” crept into my heart. Every mom reading this knows what I mean: how many new products and new hacks are there for doing absolutely everything in child rearing?! I used to think that I needed these platforms in order to be ahead of the game as a mom, but I realized soon after that social media sets very lofty bars, and when our expectations fall short of reality, we get down on ourselves.

God’s Design is Perfect

I finally deleted all of my social media platforms. I did not even start by deactivating. I had to cut it off cold turkey. It’s the best method for me, personally. From the moment I did so, I swear clarity returned to my senses, I began to sleep better at night, and my overall mood shifted in a completely positive direction. I realized again that God created me with a mind that is fully capable of operating on its own. Going back to the mom blog example, I grew confident in knowing that I did not need the latest products and hacks to make life easier. God equipped me with everything I need to do the job that I was called to do. I grew confident in knowing that I can be original and intuitive, completely on my own. Instead of relying on these platforms to maintain relationships, I have become more intentional about reaching out to family and friends and checking in on them, unaware of what they may be posting on social media. Ditching social media has made me a better wife, mama, keeper of the home, and friend. It’s also made me a better Christian because I have started diving deeper into the Word for scripture that I need or for answers to questions that I often could find on social media through someone else’s diligence. That was a personal gut punch to myself. I know for me personally I have so much more time to devote to personal wellness and I am more in tune to what God may be calling me to do.

To the person reading this who does not have social media platforms, you are probably saying “Duh!”. I felt like this was something I needed to share because it has made me a better person. If it has helped me grow, then I want it to help those who are looking to make changes grow too. While I am so content with a social media free life, I do not discount the individuals who use it. It is a great tool, some people just know how to wrangle it better than others. For me, I was awful at it.

Challenge Yourself

God always has a way of teaching me some big lessons in life. This was one of them. I realized that this tool was not bringing all glory to God in the manner of which I was using it. Social media had quickly become one of the forefront things I would spend ample amounts of the day on. It was truly just another form of an idol. It made me boastful, discontent, impulsive, and disconnected from friends and family that I should have been trying harder with on a personal level. I am thankful for the absence of social media in my life. I would like to leave you all with a challenge. Before you open any social media apps in the morning, start your day by spending 15 minutes with Jesus. If that is in the form of prayer, talking with Him while you get your morning workout in, reading your Bible or favorite devotional, spend time with Him. When we put Him first, we are acknowledging Him above any other thing in life, that includes our impulsive urges to click on Facebook or Instagram. By doing so, you are fostering a counter-cultural way of living.