If It’s Not On Social Media, Did It Really Happen?

I made a decision on Monday night.

I’ve been leaning toward this decision for a while.

I decided to break up with my social media.

Don’t worry…we will get back together. Eventually. Probably after the holidays are over.

I’ll still blog (that’s my outlet, after all), but I won’t be found on Instagram or Facebook.

So what brought me to this decision?

So many things.

First, the holidays are social media are a form of torture for this missionary kid. I’ve always loved and appreciated the simplicity that my parents raised me with, and after growing up in a third world country I often have a hard time with the materialism of holidays. I always feel guilty when my budget just can’t stretch far enough to give my children the gifts or experiences that all my friends children are given. A lot of people compare social media to a highlight reel- we only see what other’s want us to see, and I find the highlight reel especially prevalent during the holidays. Family photos, gifts, trips, time with family…are all splashed across my news feed. Every holiday season, I feel like I can never measure up.

Instead of worshipping the newborn baby who came to save the world, I am stuck in the trap of comparing myself to everyone who pops up on my news feed.

So my main reason for abandoning my social media accounts this season is to actually participate in advent- with my whole heart. No comparison. No sharing. No one will even know.

 

The next reason I chose to break up with social media for the time being is because my children and my husband need me. We have had a difficult last month (sickness, the flu, lice, night shift) and I just need to be fully present with my kiddos and Theo. They need me. They need me to be emotionally stable, physically able and fully present in their lives. Social media has just become too much for me and I’m spending too much time on it. Sure, I would love to just cut back, but that never really seems to do the trick, so I just decided to cut it out entirely.

 

Finally, I want to do something else with my time. I want to read more books, bake more cookies, write more blog posts. I want to go to bed early every night without the temptation to scroll for 10 minutes an hour before falling asleep. I want to run my half marathon and grin with pride for a picture (that won’t be posted on social media!). I want to plan out my year for 2018 and finally get around to cleaning the back room. I want to do a puzzle and wrap presents and decorate the tree. And I want to do all that without anyone else knowing what I’m doing.

 

So back to my original question…if it isn’t on social media, did it really happen?

The answer is a resounding YES. Yes it does. My family will be LOVING life and snapping a million pictures and celebrating advent and enjoying one another. Mama will be getting stuff done and also just resting, free from the chains of social media.

 

The most common response I get when suggesting a break from social media is that it will tamper business/blogging. Indeed, it probably will. I doubt I will gain any followers on Instagram or Facebook during my 6 week hiatus. In fact, I am fully confident that when I come back, I will have lost a large following. However, when I look at the benefits (all listed above) and the downfalls (losing some followers who obviously don’t care much anyways), I can say with full confidence: it’s worth it. 

 

If for whatever reason you need to get ahold of me, I am still alive and somewhat available. My email works, as does my phone. Facebook messenger also works, but you have to message my personal person and not my blog page (I won’t see those). My blog posts will show up on Facebook, but I won’t be seeing the comments over there so if you have something that needs to said, say it in the comments on the actual blog.

 

I will miss you all, but I will back in January better than ever! I am so excited for this wonderful break!

 

 

 

 

4 comments

  1. Nancy DeValve says:

    Sounds like a great idea! I heard on the radio recently that facebook, instagram, and other social media contribute directly to the rise of depression among teens. It’s no wonder because it does become a comparison game. You’re doing a great job as a wife and mama. Keep it up.

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