Well what the f do I mean by active social media? Let's just cut right into it.
By active here's what I mean: social media sites that focus on their snappy fast scroll feed engagement, you usually aren't reflecting on the past things you've liked or shared or if you do there's no organization structure and that is not the purpose of the site either.
For example: Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, BlueSky, X, Threads...
Now I'll be upfront and say I do have a burner FB (marketplace/work only).
But really all I have now are the following:
- Pinterest (used for collecting information and visual data to help my art, I rarely ever engage in the comments) I've trued so many alternatives to try and escape the ads.
- Reddit (collecting data and learning) Got to be careful with this because of the negativity and news on front page.
- Youtube (while this is considered a social media I see it more like a blog posting platform, however I do still struggle with getting sucked down Shorts and I know, it's basically TikTok).
- Snapchat (I try to only have it to where it's my friends and just our bubble)
So I have one to get inspired and learn, one to collect, one to again learn and hopefully inspire, and one to keep in contact with my friends. I've thought about getting rid of Snapchat before, but I communicate with friends on there that really aren't texters.
Why don't I have the others?
I Value My Time
Not to say that people on the platforms don't, but for me it is a giant time suck when I used to have profiles on active social media. It was so easy to just keep scrolling.
I Was Sick of the Numbness
Just fifteen minutes and the numbness and brain fuzz would start to hit. And it wouldn't leave as soon as I closed the app.
I Wanted to Be Liked
Ah, online validation, not the best for a crumbling confidence and with the inner child in control of the steering wheel. And the more I used these sites, the most I would second guess myself.
Self-Control Seemed Impossible
To even just take the start of a social media break seemed impossible and if I got through it, say a month or a few weeks, I felt amazing but only to soon return.
They're Loud
Now I will say (and especially because of how horrific the ads have gotten and amount of screenshots of other social sites) that Pinterest can be loud. That's why unless I'm looking for something specific, then I'm usually on the site only for small chunks of times.
The Fun is Usually Boring
We are fed what to like on these apps. Bite after helpless bite. To where we're mainly consuming content we don't even care for? So much pointlessness.
The Need to Be Perfect
I still to this day struggle to take photos without filters. Imagine saying that twenty years ago.
I'd Rather Get Community Elsewhere
Not to say I don't have online friends, because I do and I met them when I had the "active" social medias. But I feel like I found my homies and didn't need to keep looking. There's also a heavy leaning from me to now get out into the physical community, especially as I'm living more authentically.
They Encourage You to Share Your Entire Life
The term influencer honestly makes me cringe. I mean it seems awesome, you being paid to just be you? But that's not what is actually happening you're a paid ad. We need to have better boundaries with how we use the internet, especially if complete strangers are accessing our every thought.
I Wasn't As Mindful
I felt like I lived a portion of my life on these sites. Even my thoughts seemed narrower, as in I felt more closed minded when it came to what thoughts creatively I allowed in.
Too Negative
The news, the click bait, the gossip and back stabbing, the harmful pranks, the bullying, the social standards, the cliches, the cliques, the FOMO, the ghost notifications, the pressure to edit, the pressure from Capitalism to need to consume and buy to be happy.
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