It’s been just over a week since I began the Social Media Challenge and I have to say that I miss my boredom browsing on Facebook. I think it is more of a mindless habit than a need that drives this yearning and it leaves me to wonder if this is how a smoker feels when trying to quit (minus the chemical stuff of course).
There’s a sense of edginess due to the inability to share opinions and thoughts and a bit of sadness at being removed from family and friends. It makes me realize just how reliant that myself as well as society has come to rely upon platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
Here’s a brief run down of some of the days.
Day 1
More than once I picked up the phone to get on FB for just mindless browsing, groaning each time I remembered the challenge. A few times I thought of even quitting but knew that I’d have to admit to a much bigger problem if I did so.
Day 2
Didn’t have a problem while at work, guess it’s because I don’t carry my phone and on lunch I read books. It is when I settle in for bed that I miss the mindless habit. However, I do find that I am focused to a more fuller extent on the present moments and conversations.
Day 3
Still reach for the phone first thing in the morning. Feel a bit lost wondering about family and missing seeing those cute baby pictures, but I am finding that I’m doing more productive writing and less procrastination.
It’s tempting to cheat, pop on for a quick look but I refuse to believe I’m that weak.
Day 4
I miss sharing my life events with my close friends and family as today we celebrated my daughter’s 21st birthday. This allowed me to realize why I use social media. With so many of my family members and friends living in other states social media allows us to remain connected in a real time fashion that letters and phone calls never allowed.
Day 7
Just as smokers will turn to gum or patches to substitute their habit, I inadvertently found a substitution for the mindless browsing of social media – a game and NPR. Thankfully, the game eventually “kills” me and I have to wait to get more health and NPR only updates certain times throughout the day thus it’s not quite as bad as the 24/7 memes and videos on other platforms.
I also discovered that without social media my blog is dead in the water. So, be kind and help me during the challenge by sharing CoffeeDribble. I’d GREATLY appreciate it!!!
So, with week one done I find myself not so down on social media but realizing that I need to set limits. It’s all about proportions. An excess of ANYTHING is never a good thing and that includes social media, games, news….EVERYTHING!!!
If you think I’m being dramatic or that abstaining from your favorite social media platform is simple, than I challenge you to take part in the Social Media Challenge and then share your experience with me down in the comments.
Coffee Dribble 