In January of this year 2021, I removed myself from the social media Apps Facebook and Instagram…mainly due to censorship but also due to the algorithms that have gotten out of control.

I couldn’t support these particular Apps knowing that what I shared likely wouldn’t even be seen because the “moderators” might not agree with it or that it might not be “popular” enough to be seen (algorithms).

I began focusing on my neglected blog since I had my “Freedom of Speech” there and quickly realized how much I missed the aspect of not feeling forced to put content out into the world “instantly”. It was like a huge weight lifted off of me since I no longer felt the need to “perform”.

A week into what I like to now call my “Social Media Detox” and I was having withdrawals. I had deleted both Apps off of my phone to make it difficult for me to access them and was no longer waking up or going to bed getting on IG or Facebook to see what everyone was doing.

I wasn’t picking up my phone in my downtime and scrolling through “The Gram” watching stories etc. And I no longer had my phone in my hand the majority of the day documenting what I was doing on Instagram Stories.

I missed the “instant” connections with friends and family and worked hard to figure out how I could still keep those connections through my blog and Pinterest. Thankfully a few of my favorite people I followed were also bloggers and I have been able to stay updated via their blogs.

But as a month went by…things began to get easier and the “withdrawal symptoms” started to fade.

Then one day…I got back on my Instagram account to find some content that I had previously shared and wanted to move it to the blog.

While I was on there… I started scrolling and looking at the feeds of those I followed and quickly realized I wasn’t really missing out on much.
Everyone was pretty much doing the same things as always and selling the same stuff etc. and I was honestly just bored with it all (with the exception of a few favorites).

So as the weeks went by I started realizing that my original reasons for leaving social Media had been a blessing in disguise and I had actually been Freed from all of the outside “Noise”.

I can remember at one point Instagram had become so politically charged that quite a few of the home Decor feeds I followed were sharing politics in stories. I got sucked into it all and my husband noticed a change in my behavior and demeanor and mentioned it to me.

I had become so discontent and depressed (all this coming from someone who has never suffered from depression or anxiety in their life) and that’s when I realized I had fallen prey to it.

Before I left Instagram and Facebook, a few of my followers were telling me how depressed they had become after watching people’s IG stories and seeing them buying these beautiful new Homes and going on these extravagant vacations etc.

It’s hard not to get stuck in the comparison trap and feel bad about your own life when your constantly exposed to everyone else’s.

I’m reading a book right now called “Digital Minimalism” and it explains that anxiety in people (especially teens) is at an all time high which they are attributing to Social Media.

Excerpt from the Book by Cal Newport: “Many people I spoke to underscored social media’s ability to manipulate their mood. The constant exposure to their friends’ carefully curated portrayals of their lives generates feelings of inadequacy—especially during periods when they’re already feeling low—and for teenagers, it provides a cruelly effective way to be publicly excluded.”

I can’t imagine being a teenager today and having access to thousands of other teens lives on constant replay via Tik Tok, Snap Chat, Instagram etc. 24/7…. Talk about comparison.

So here I am… four months into my “Social Detox” and I am still navigating my way around how to “Escape the Noise” of Technology.
It’s most definitely a journey that has brought about many positive changes in my life and will continue to.
I have gotten so much done around my home and have become more purposeful about the things I do and why I do them. I’ve also gotten back to being creative in the kitchen and am coming up with new recipes etc.

I wrote this blog posts to document this journey for myself, but I’m also sharing it here in hopes that you too may find the “freedom” I have from limiting my exposure to social media/technology.

I understand not everyone has an unhealthy relationship with social media, but if you find yourself feeling discontent, depressed or anxious, then I would strongly recommend taking a break from it for a while and see if it helps.

FYI: I made this a two part blog posts since this will be an ongoing process of how I am limiting my exposure to all the “Noise”. Soon I hope to have a few tips and tricks to share with you that I have found helped me.

Hugs!