Personal ANNecdotes

Social Media Antagonist

A week ago, I made a brave, unofficial self-declaration - - I am officially boycotting my social media accounts. Honestly, I don't miss it totally, like something important just went out of my life. So far, I have been successful in not opening or posting on it for more than a week.

Instead, the number of hours saved from social media browsing made me more present with my 'real' life.

I don't know with you but, I suddenly felt that social media is just online gossip readily made available. You waste minutes and hours of your time checking what is your friend's current #OOTD, where your high school or elementary classmate went off to for vacation, and what this or that politician said that suddenly enraged the entire nation. I can still list a few but, I don't want to go further. We also have a lot of "humble" bragging which is still bragging in spite of the first word connected to it. When did bragging become humble anyway?

I felt suffocated and smothered with thousands of certificates, competitions and seminars and conventions that my friends in my social media accounts have posted.

Certificates are just papers. They don't tell a person's character. Competitions are just icings on top. Seminars are good investments but, don't necessarily have to be posted. Unless, you are planning to share what you gained from attending those.

I understand the happiness felt when achieving your goal. But, do you always need to post it and tell the f*ck*ing world who doesn't care whether you have just received an interstellar award from a far off universe? As if the world cared from which interplanetary constellation was your recognition taken from.

(Sorry, I didn't mean to be to extremely mean at this point. I just don't get it when people keep doing it. It's okay to post probably once or twice about your achievements. But, rubbing it on everyone's face all the time is definitely a PAIN in the *ss.)

And yes, I am also trying to forget and move on. I needed a breather. I needed a space with enough ventilation to allow me to take in as much oxygen needed to rejuvenate my existence. Social media has become an official thief in taking your presence in your real life.

You decide to like, share and post memes, quotes and random thoughts while forgetting, you have an actual existence to work on instead. Personal interactions are replaced with online chatting. When was the last time you went out to meet and see your friends? Are you content with just seeing pictures and have forgotten what being with the real person felt?

Social media, ironically, is not bridging gaps the way it was originally designed for. No amount of online interaction can replace the warmth of personal connections. I honestly wanted to see my friends in person and use social media to connect and invite them over. But, you will realize the lack of rapport and personal touch when your interactions to them get limited online and it becomes frequent over time.

Blogging is different for me, of course. It allows me to be in touch with my soul and my real passion - - WRITING. I have decided to touch base with what really matters to me and to abandon those that don't.

I guess, the minimalist attitude is finding its way as part of my lifestyle. I am beginning to minimize time wasters and give my brain enough thinking time to ponder things through and see why I have been going circles but, not getting anywhere.

I have been planning to deactivate them completely. But, there are a lot of beautiful memories stored through pictures and posts there. I guess, I will have to stay with boycotting them for the meantime. After retrieving all that's needed, it's time to delete and say goodbye.