Back in the early 2000s Social media was reccomended between friends and family so that we could all keep tabs on each other. Like today it was trending. A friend of mine once talked me into going on Facebook for a while back in 2007. Eventually I made an account.
Before I stopped drinking, and became an alcohol free indiviual I was always on the platforms. I'd say that is when my addiction had started. It had only gotten worse since I quit my job back in 2023.
I wound up being on 8 different social media platforms. Why? Because as a musican I wanted to build my fanbase as well as keep up with family and friends.
Overtime this became a huge priority throughout the the day. I have been checking the newfeeds every 15mins to an hour, and loosing between 2 hours to most of the day scrolling. The notifcations really sucked me in, keeping me addicted and attached for much longer.
So I ended up finally starting to do more about this. I started off by doing some research and reading other blogs.
The average person spends between 30mins to 2 hours on Social media perday. My lowest average is about 20mins.
Time outside of social media can reduce stress and anxiety, therefore you sleep better.
Time outside of social media helps you be more productive, and get the most out of your day.
Time outside of social media helps you spend more time with your family and friends in real life., maybe even encourage a chat over the phone.
I read a blog on the Stacie Mitchel website where there was one person who spent a whole week off of social media. On Day 6 they felt bored. But they saw this as a good thing because it made them more "apt to think about what they really want to do in the moment."
This kinda woke me up. I realized that it is ok to be bored, yet I questioned how am I going to cope with my problem.
The first thing I did was write some things down. First I wrote down some ground rules:
Check after I have done my morning routines, and written in my diary.
Set a timer for 30mins to limit my check ins, and log out when the time is up.
Document my urges to go back on social media and why, how did I handle it?
Replace the urge with one creative hobby. (I am considering going back to coloring in or quilling when I am not doing music).
I spent the week continuing to educate myself. I posted alot less, I checked quickly in small bursts. During this time I learnt that the notifcations induce a dopamine rush. A similar rush I had when I used to drink alcohol or when I used to smoke cigarettes. I liked the attention even though I never really looked for it, and I also enjoyed my intermittent long breaks from it.
In conclusion, my journey with social media has been eye-opening. From its early days as a way to stay connected with a certain fanbase and the bands, it gradually evolved into a source of dependency that mirrored my past struggles with addiction. But like those past challenges, I’ve realized that awareness and intentional action can create meaningful change.
I’m still on this path, but I feel relieved knowing I’m making progress and reclaiming my days, one small step at a time. If you’ve felt the pull of social media taking over, know that you’re not alone. Most people are in the same boat. I hope this blog has inspired you one way or another.
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