What made me quit social media?
At that time, as I got one year older, I began to question my choices, where I was in life, and how I had let external influences shape my decisions. I deactivated social media, vanished for a while to take time to reflect and think for myself as I was journaling.
At the start of my journey
I was thinking about “What was adding to my life and what wasn’t? What I’m satisfied and what am I not satisfied with?” I had to search and look at everything! Because maybe there is a detail that is no good to me and I’m not aware of it. Some things were hard to face and sit with, I spent time rethinking about everything from every angle and perspective I could, before finalizing my choices. Then, I followed through with my decisions. But I never really knew if things would go well; all I could do was stay to present, be attentive to details, and focus on what was in front of me.
I used to use social media a lot for work to network with people, so I had an important use for it actually. Quitting social media (except YouTube) I think I began to focus more on what was in front of me physcially.
How Quitting Social Media Changed My Life
01 – Quality Relationships
One of the most profound changes after I quit social media I noticed was in my relationships. Social media gives us the illusion of being connected, but the reality is that it often dilutes the quality of our connections. People came to act in a way, as if liking a friend’s post or leaving a comment is enough, but what kind of relationship is that, really? I began to realize that even the connections I cherished were becoming shallow.
By disconnecting from social media, I started to think about which relationships were meaningful and which were not. I had to confront the fact that some relationships were one-sided. The empty space left by social media allowed me to reflect on who was truly important in my life and who wasn’t.
02 – Clearer Perspective And Quality Time
With social media out of the picture, I gained a clearer perspective on my life. I began to focus on what was real and valuable, both not only in my relationships but also in how I spent my time. I became more aware of the things in my life that weren’t adding value, so I started to clear them out. This eventually led to a career change into marketing and web development, a path that feels more aligned with my true interests.
As I decluttered my life, I had to be patient because it took time to build the new. Until everything came together, I had to face the old on a daily basis, which was really hard to do. Instead of using social media, I scheduled some time to let loose and I reconnect with passions that had been pushed aside. I found joy in writing, cooking, and photography. By removing social media, I freed up time and gained clarity which made me engage in things that truly added to my life.
Unless you’re using social media to build a career, it’s worth asking yourself: What value does it really add to your life?
03 – The Bliss of Exclusivity
One of the most surprising benefits of quitting social media was discovering the bliss of exclusivity. I realized that some experiences and achievements are meant to be cherished privately. There’s something blissful about keeping certain things to yourself, allowing them to be enjoyed without the pressure of public opinion on it.
Sharing less has made my life feel richer. I’ve noticed that when I keep my goals and accomplishments to myself, they’re more likely to come to fruition. It leaves me dumbfounded how rarely there’s an exception to this. At the moment, I don’t fully understand the physical science behind why a door that had already opened seems to close once someone else get to know about it. But there is something to it.
04 – Increase in Focus
Social media constantly bombards us with updates on other people’s lives. There is a limited capacity for what you can do in a day and what you allow to occupy your mind. When you fill that space with unnecessary information, you are, in effect, filling it with trash. Empty it out, and you regain that space for more valuable things. I don’t need to know every detail of other people’s lives, and if there’s something important, they should seek out real communication with me; this builds better relationships. When you stop looking left and right, you begin to see what’s truly in front of you. Focus on creating memories and experiences for yourself instead.
Your life is happening right in front of you—don’t let it slip away while you’re busy looking down at a screen.
Conclusion
Looking back, quitting social media was a great decision, although many things happend over long time, this gave me the space to reflect and change my life. I’ve become more focused, productive, and in tune with my own needs and desires.
As I became more aware of the things I didn’t like and things that weren’t adding value, I began clearing those out. My life started to fall into place as I focused more on the things happening right in front of me, in the physical world.
Through all this journaling and analysis, I came to comprehend some major life lessons. I began making new decisions and all of this has changed my personality and life significantly over a short span of a few months to a year.
I’ve activated and deactivated my accounts multiple times over the years, but after all these experiences, they no longer appeal to me at all.