7 and a half years !
The time it has taken for me to come back to this small place of mine.
Last time I wrote a piece of blog, Sachin was still playing, I didn't have a smartphone or a WhatsApp account, I was on a prepaid 2G connection, meticulously comparing SMS packs and Full Talk Time offers !
I have come back to this long- forgotten small world of mine, to share my experiences with my other social distancing - complete quitting from Facebook and a near-complete quitting from Twitter. It has been almost 18 months since I have used Facebook and it has been a great journey, so far. Thanks to Radhika for being the trigger !
I would like to share my realisations about social media, all of which occured to me after quitting.
1. It hardly adds any value to life / lifestyle
Myth
I will fall out of fashion. I will not "stay updated".
Reality
The good old newspaper still exists ! Nothing major has happened because I knew About a breaking news a few hours later
Whatsapp - the other big problem in my life, which I will talk about later, ensures that I don't miss out on anything, which my company or family wants me to know.
I don't think I missed out on any news in the last 18 months, except that some of my acquaintances got married / became new parent / switched jobs or cities. I don't feel the urge of knowing about everything that happens in everyone's life anymore.
2. It takes over your thought process
Myth
I am immune ! I will not let social media influence me.
Reality
I feel calm and more positive now. The world feels to be a far better place.
I realised that I felt more rage, anger, false sense of pride, stupid sense of superiority / inferiority . The business model of social networks lies on negative emotions.
3. It kills time
Myth
I spend only my spare time on social media
Reality
It takes away your invaluable personal time, which could have been a very productive time for mind and body.
On an average I used to open Facebook +Twitter apps 20-25 times a day, spending an average of 2 minutes every time.
7 and a half years - I wanted to be "liked" and "shared" . I feared ridicule, not anymore !
The time it has taken for me to come back to this small place of mine.
Last time I wrote a piece of blog, Sachin was still playing, I didn't have a smartphone or a WhatsApp account, I was on a prepaid 2G connection, meticulously comparing SMS packs and Full Talk Time offers !
I have come back to this long- forgotten small world of mine, to share my experiences with my other social distancing - complete quitting from Facebook and a near-complete quitting from Twitter. It has been almost 18 months since I have used Facebook and it has been a great journey, so far. Thanks to Radhika for being the trigger !
I would like to share my realisations about social media, all of which occured to me after quitting.
1. It hardly adds any value to life / lifestyle
Myth
I will fall out of fashion. I will not "stay updated".
Reality
The good old newspaper still exists ! Nothing major has happened because I knew About a breaking news a few hours later
Whatsapp - the other big problem in my life, which I will talk about later, ensures that I don't miss out on anything, which my company or family wants me to know.
I don't think I missed out on any news in the last 18 months, except that some of my acquaintances got married / became new parent / switched jobs or cities. I don't feel the urge of knowing about everything that happens in everyone's life anymore.
2. It takes over your thought process
Myth
I am immune ! I will not let social media influence me.
Reality
I feel calm and more positive now. The world feels to be a far better place.
I realised that I felt more rage, anger, false sense of pride, stupid sense of superiority / inferiority . The business model of social networks lies on negative emotions.
3. It kills time
Myth
I spend only my spare time on social media
Reality
It takes away your invaluable personal time, which could have been a very productive time for mind and body.
On an average I used to open Facebook +Twitter apps 20-25 times a day, spending an average of 2 minutes every time.
7 and a half years - I wanted to be "liked" and "shared" . I feared ridicule, not anymore !
