Relationship to Social Media Status: “It’s Complicated”
Lately, (who am I kidding, for months and months) I’ve been feeling the pull to spend less time on social media, less time staring at my phone. And yet, my behavior has stayed the same. This space– primarily, Instagram— is super complicated for me, and I know I’m not alone.⠀
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I love writing, and it brings me great joy to share my work with others. Engaging in tough and deep and meaningful conversations in response to posts (my own and others’) fills me up. Seeing and celebrating the work of friends and colleagues can be so fun!
AND some of the yuckier parts of my relationship to social media are taking up too much of my limited resources. I am ready to take back the time and energy I’ve accidentally been spending comparing myself to others and their pages, getting down about the number of likes or comments my posts get, checking my messages over and over to see if someone responded, wondering why some relationships don’t feel mutual, worrying about “the algorithm,” and so on.⠀
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This year, I am going to step away from constant content creation and engagement on my social media platforms. Yes, I will continue creating and writing, but I will be doing so in different ways. And, yes, I intend to continue connecting with folks near and far, but, again, I am exploring new ways of building relationships.
I invite you to consider your own relationship with social media:
- How/when/where do you feel connected on social media?
- In what ways do you feel disconnected in these spaces?
- What about your relationship with social media is working for you? Not working for you?
Beyond Social Media
As I actively transform my relationship with Instagram, I am ready to strengthen connection with other folks who are ready and willing to do the same. Instead of fielding little red hearts and fake comments from bots, I want to have deeper conversations. Over the past few weeks, I considered and journaled and brainstormed about how I could connect with friends, colleagues, and followers in more direct and 1:1 ways. Below you will find 5 ways to stay in touch beyond Instagram:
1. Sign up for newsletters and emails. I send 2-4 monthly.
2. Subscribe to the blog. (Thanks so much for being here!) If you sign up, you’ll get a link directly in your inbox each Tuesday when I publish.
3. Be my pen pal! Seriously, sign up to give and receive friendly letters to and from yours truly!
4. Book a Discovery Call + work with me.
5. Contact me via my website, email, or phone.
Again, I invite you to consider how you might like to strengthen relationships with folks you care about beyond your social platforms:
- Whom might you like to connect with in new ways?
- What does “strengthening connection” look/sound/feel like to you?
- How/when/where would you like to connect with people outside of social media?
- What limits or boundaries for social media would be nurturing/helpful/grounding for you?
Trusting the Process
I recently bought a sticker for my water bottle that says “trust your process.” So, even though I’m a little/a lot scared about this change I am making (because, duh, I want to be seen and relevant and part of “things”), I have decided to trust my process. Because it feels right, and I know that trying new things is hard, uncomfortable, and worth it.
Finally, if you’re thinking of making some changes this year, I see you! And I offer you the same reminder I have given myself– trust your process. You’ve got this!
