Real Life > Social Life?

I can't believe it's taken me this long to remove myself from social media.

I've gotten a few common responses when I tell people. One is "really?? you're off social media?" (which means my auto posts to facebook/twitter seem to be working) and the second being, "that's so good! I spend so much time on my phone and should get off too." 

The first response funny. I feel like people's feeds are so curated by social media companies that If I dropped off your feed, you wouldn't even know I was still alive. If I'm not on social media, am I still living? 

The second response, I love. I feel like so many people relate to the challenges of having constant access to social media. Granted, many of us use it for work, research, business, etc. and find it challenging to make it work logistically. I use it a lot to plan film shoots and have been finding it more difficult to prep and scout for locations without it.

There is a part of a lot of people I talk with who are so completely aware of their complicated relationship with social media. A lot of people who consider using their phones less, or also taking a break from social media. But after 4 weeks, I'm most surprised at how much I don't miss social media.

At the most basic levels, I find myself noticing more of the world around me. On the bus, at the coffee shop, while waiting in line. At an emotional level, I find myself less reactive to my phone and notifications. I notice when I still get a nervous twitch to grab my phone. I can actually see the moments when I'm looking for something to fill my time on the internet. I find myself getting less sucked into endless/mindless activities on my phone. 

And what has that left me with? 

Honestly, I wouldn't say that my life has changed dramtically. I think drastic changes would also be unrealistic to expect after only being off for a month.

But it's the little things that been making the big difference. I find myself feeling more connected and appreciative of time with people around me. Now that I'm not getting updates via social media, I actually don't know what's going on in their lives. I have more space in my days. I have more battery life at the end of the day (ha!). I have fewer excuses and distractions getting in my way. I feel better about myself, which is surprising. I'm less concerned about what the other people across the continent are up to and more concerned about the work I'm up to, right now. The people around me, right here. 

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