Ten years ago, I deleted all of my social media accounts. Facebook. Instagram. Twitter (now X). Plus a few platforms that no longer exist. (Remember Vine?)
Initially, I never intended to quit social media entirely. It all started with a tiny experiment: a
three-month break from social media over the summer. Just a temporary pause.
I told myself, “I will step away for a few months and see how it goes. Will I miss it? Feel disconnected from my friends? Will there be a negative impact on my career? Fewer clients? Lower sales? I don’t know. But there’s only one way to find out. I have to try it and see.”
During my social media sabbatical, I noticed that my mind felt less cluttered. My concentration improved. It felt easier to lock into a focused flow state at work and get big projects done.
I found myself engaging with the world in a different way, noticing the small details around me (light filtering through the trees, the sound of birds, the cool air on my skin) rather than staring down at my phone so much
of the time, oblivious to my surroundings.
When the summer ended, I realized, “I like how this change feels. I don’t have any particular desire to return to social media.”
So, I didn’t.
That was a decade ago.
Since then, I’ve been asked a lot of questions about this decision, including:
What prompted you to quit social media? (Was there a particular experience that led to this decision?)
If you don’t use social media, how do you stay connected with colleagues and friends?
How do you stay on top of the news?
How do you find clients? Sell spots for your writing retreats? Sell books?
Do you ever miss it?
Do you think social media is "bad"?
Do you think your decision to leave social media has "held back" your career in some way? Would you be more successful today if you had stayed?
If someone were thinking about changing their relationship with social media (or technology / screen time overall), what are the first steps you'd recommend?
Today,
over on my website, I’m sharing my answers to all of those questions—including a few stories that deal with online stalking, invasion of privacy, and mental health that I have never shared publicly before.
