It has been a week since I posted Another social media detox and I have reflected on the changes made to have a healthier time online. I split the fourteen social media platforms I interacted with into three categories – Keep, Pause and Delete. My delete pile was immediately deleted/deactivated. I removed the login details from Bitwarden in case I was tempted to log back in.
Over this past week, I have had a chance to spend a week without my paused collection, which consisted of Facebook, Instagram and Mastodon (twit.social). I’m glad I gave myself time to think about my next steps would be these platforms. The biggest hurdle was breaking the habit of accessing them unconsciously. An app for Mastodon was used on my iPad, but I never had the Facebook and Instagram app installed on my devices because I seriously do not trust Meta (and Zuck). I would access them both through Brave Browser and catch most of the tracking and ads. However, it was not always perfect. Ads, presented as posts, always got through.
After consideration, I found these social media platforms did not add value to my life.
Mark @ Minimlr.com
It’s done. My “Paused” social media accounts have been deleted, and user account information deleted from
@Bitwarden. Goodbye Facebook, Instagram, and Mastodon. #socialmedia#facebook#instagram#mastodon
A quick signoff was made on Twitter was made to confirm I had deleted Facebook, Instagram, and Mastodon. No message was sent to these platforms, so I think some friends and family might think I have blocked them or something.
WHy?
Deleting Facebook and Instagram can be a positive step towards better mental health. Social media can be a source of stress, anxiety and even depression as users compare themselves to others or post things they later regret. I know I am fortunate not to feel the effects of social media pressure. I have not experienced the negative impact of having both platforms like others have felt. I simply find them boring. The excessive adverts uninspired me. Without these platforms, I can refocus my energy on more productive activities, build better relationships with friends and family in person, or find hobbies and interests that bring me joy.
Additionally, taking a break from social media can give users a renewed perspective on their lives and can help them reconnect with their purpose and values. I will miss some of the productivity networks on Facebook. However, I have discovered these are already on Discord. Facebook really is a boring platform. Gone are the days when you kept in touch with family and friends. It felt more like ninety-five percent junk and five percent posts missed from people I followed (I always got birthday posts after friends’ birthdays).
I didn’t feel Instagram was the right fit for me. It showed me photos and videos. So what? I have them on my own phone. What’s new? I lacked any real interest in the platform. I don’t see the point of Instagram, but I know this is a generational thing. I was born in the 80s. I get it. I’m old and saying things I would mock older relatives for saying back in the day. Anyway, I am done with it.
Mastodon was probably the one platform I struggled to delete because the service is new and unique. A federated social media platform where you can connect to a server of your own interest was perfect for me. It meant I did not have to look or deal with people I wanted to avoid. Ultimately, it was the lack of engagement on the platform that drove me to delete my twit.social account. I might return one day.
The Keep Pile
My Keep pile of my personal website, Twitter, YouTube and Discord is enough for me. I don’t see any of them going away anytime soon. Having said that, Elon Musk is certainly trying his best to ruin Twitter. I can see it following a business model like Medium.com at this rate, where people have to pay to access more than three tweets a day.
In my post about having minimalist weekends, I mentioned going the weekend without social media. I am forgetting to apply the rule and I slipped up on Saturday morning. I immediately realised my mistake and stopped myself from continuing on Twitter. A reminder has been set through my calendar and Todoist for next weekend. The hope is the polite reminder will stop me from going online. It is a habit I am having to get used to, but I don’t see why I can’t achieve it.