Alright folks.
I'm taking a social media break. I may or may not be back.
You might think it's silly to post on social media about going off social media, but I wanted to give everybody a heads-up and give some context and (most importantly) make sure everyone knows how to get in touch with me. I'm gonna explain a few things, but if you just want contact info you can scroll to the bottom.
I've been thinking a lot lately about how much time I spend looking at screens. I suspect we can all relate with this in some way, especially people my age.
I could write an essay here about how unhealthy these behaviors are, how I'm basically addicted to looking at my smart phone, and about how social media is unravelling our society. But everyone probably already knows that; I've known it for a long time myself.
I'm tired of spending countless hours online in search of tiny dopamine hits. The best times in my life have come from more direct, more real connections with people; they have come from lived experiences, not digital ones. I'm tired of wondering what I'm missing out on: what I could be experiencing, what I could be creating, what I am capable of if only I had those hours back.
I recently read a book called "Digital Minimalism" by Cal Newport. While I wouldn't call it a great book, it was an eye-opening one. Cal talks a lot about how our usage of digital technology should reflect our personal values, and this resonated with me.
I do not feel that I am living my personal values, so it's time for a change.
He outlines a process called the "Digital Declutter" which is basically a month-long digital cleanse. I'd encourage you to take a look. I'll be doing the declutter for all of April. After that, I'll decide if I want to come back; if I do come back, it'll be in a much more restricted way.
While I want this process to disconnect me from the noise of the modern digital world, I don't want it to disconnect me from the people I care about. Let's talk!
You can text me or email me. We can talk on the phone! If something cool is going on in your life, or if you need to talk, I'd rather actually talk to you than just clicking "like" on a status. I can't promise I'll respond right away, because I'm cutting way back on phone and screen time, but I will respond.
I'm leaving my account active and I'll be checking messages for a few days, so you can hit me up there if you need my phone number or email.
It's nothing personal. Or rather, it's extremely personal, and I hope everybody understands. Have an absolutely fantastic April. ✌️