Week 1 Observations of My Social Media “Fast”

So it’s been a week since Ash Wednesday, when I started my “fast” from social media. Below are five things that I feel and think after the first week.

1. Social Media can be defined quite broadly

For Lent, I personally defined what I would abstain from on social media as my three most used social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. However, social media’s tentacles wrap themselves around much more than just those three sites. It weaves itself into my smartphone in astounding other ways. I have found myself asking, “Does checking my Facebook messenger app count as social media?” Sometimes I receive push notifications on my phone from this app separately even though I deleted my Facebook app.

What about games that connect with social media? I wonder whether those count towards me utilizing the social media. For now, I am OK with playing my trivia games as long as they do not take me into the Facebook portal. But I do admit, that you could broadly include games on your phone as social media if you want to. I’ve also found myself wanting to check a “Reddit” article, which reports news, links, what is going on, and even funny things people want to share. Overall, I do not use “Reddit” much. However, I can say that its appeal is higher when I am away from my other guilty pleasures, as it were.

2. I’ve felt a bit disconnected at times

I think mainly when I feel like I am actually missing out on something by giving up social media for lent, is when I am with others who are checking their own devices/media. I think my friends and family have been really great about it actually. But I noticed this feeling more when I did not know I was invited to some event on Facebook, and someone I was with told me I was. It is an odd feeling. I do not want to miss out on something fun or exciting. But I can always get that information second-hand from someone else. An example of this was when I was with a buddy skiing this past weekend. He informed me I was invited to a Poker night the following week. That was good to know! So I do admit that events on Facebook are a really nice feature, which I miss having access to.

3. There is certainly freedom in  this disconnection though!

There is something liberating about knowing that if something is REALLY important, my friends or family can just let me know. I am not really that cut off! Anyone can text, email, call or….dare I say it? They could even write me a letter about something I really need to know. I have had this happen already too.  A friend, Todd, texted me conscientiously to let me know I was invited to an event at his house. That was nice! My sister, father, mother, wife and others have encouraged me too!

4. I think I am more present and productive

Now, I do not have any real hard data to prove this point above. However, I feel more productive during the day at work and with my grad school workload. In fact, I am caught up on both work and grad school homework. I am ahead of schedule for the first time in what seems like forever! Is this all based on me giving up social media? Probably not. But it could be. I think the real test would be to ask my teammates on group projects, boss at work, and wife if I am more present and productive. Perhaps I’ll get their takes on this idea in a later post.

More importantly I do have more time. That much I know. So if I use this time for important things like devotional time with God, prayer, time with my wife, and close friends, then that is what would make this a bigger victory.

5. I am certainly still “tempted” to get on social media

After one week, I can honestly say I do miss certain aspects of the social media I have given up. I am tempted to log onto Facebook on my computer. In fact, just today I almost did it without thinking! This shows the behavioral habit that social media has impressed upon me. I hope to get to a point in the next few days where I do not miss it at all. I think I am getting there, but certainly am not there totally yet. By the way, if I do miss it still at the end, that is fine too. I do not think social media is evil. I just think that reducing it is slowly but surely having a good effect on my behavior, peace of mind, faith, and hopefully relationships. At least, I do not think I am a social outcast just yet!

Cheers!

Nate