Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. I’m back today after a busy week of work, writing, and running. This week I saw a post on Facebook (kind of ironic, I know) and it made the statement that Social Media makes you dissatisfied with your life.
I gathered from this statement that social media makes people dissatisfied because we start to compare ourselves to what other people post. The meme went on to say, get off social media, read a book, work in your garden, or go for a walk. Do something that brings you joy and do it for that reason alone. Don’t do something just so you can post it on Facebook later. Do it because you enjoy it.
I agree with this statement even though I’m guilty of spending time on social media myself. I find that scrolling on Facebook or tweeting on Twitter is a passive exercise. You’re not actively participating in life. Sure, you can connect with people and message them and that’s all well and good. I do that myself. But you’re not actively living.
When you go for a walk, you’re not only doing something good for your body. You’re experiencing life. You’re experiencing the smells of the forest and the beauty of the wildflowers growing alongside the road. That’s living. You’ll feel better getting up and doing something. Going for a walk or a hike even by yourself is much better for you than scrolling through posts on Facebook.
If you’re feeling frustrated with your life or you’re dealing with a problem and you can’t find a solution. Read a book. Reading is a great stress reliever and I guarantee if you read for even just fifteen minutes, the problem you’re dealing with won’t feel so big. Again, reading is active. Your brain is working, focusing on something other than your problem or dissatisfaction.
Don’t get me wrong, social media is a great way to keep in touch with people and make connections, but it’s not good for your health if you’re neglecting exercise or it creates mental anguish. Remember, the goal of social media is to keep you engaged. You have to actively set limits for yourself or you’ll get sucked in. It happens to the best of us.
Remember to actively live your life. Enjoy that walk or run while you’re doing it. Stay in that moment. Enjoy cooking that meal for your family. Enjoy the smells of the spices lingering in the air as you cook. Turn on the radio and listen to music while you work. That’s living. Social media isn’t.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. How do you feel about social media? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!
I spend too much time on social media. I have started muting words on twitter and unfollowing people to try to make it less stressful. I do take a walk every day and I read books a lot. The worst part of the lockdown was when I couldn’t focus to read. I need my books to help my mood.
I hear you. Reading has always been a stress reliever for me, too. I’ve cut my social media use down quite a bit, also. I use it mainly to keep in touch with people. 🙂
Yup. Social media can be a time suck, unless you govern yourself and allow only an allotted time to engage. Set a timer and once it goes off, get off. My problem is that I like to share and tweet other authors, but it ends up taking my writing time. When do you make time for writing, Lisa? Before or after social media (includes book promos) engagement. Great post, as usual. Cheers!
Thanks, Sharon. I make time for writing usually early in the morning. I’m the first one up and I can on a good day get about 1000 to 1500 words down. If I do it that way, I don’t get frustrated with my progress. I usually do social media for a few minutes throughout the day. 🙂
Wow, that’s an awesome word count, Lisa! Congrats! I’ve got to get back into being more disciplined with my writing. Thanks for sharing your writing routine. Cheers!
You’re welcome! Cheers back at you!
Yup, yup, and yup. I couldn’t agree more. I have drastically slowed down my use of all social media outlets, except my author page. I quit Twitter altogether because of the negativity, shaming, and bullying. Facebook seems to be a bit better but the political slant is beyond what I can bear right now so I’ve distanced myself from that platform as well.
I do continue to post stuff on my author page, usually by scheduling a lot of posts that will automatically appear so I don’t have to be engaged but can come back later and post responses, etc.
Life is too short to put up with all the wickedness in the social media arena for me these days. I’d much rather read or visit with friends face-to-face. That’s the stuff of life.
Thanks for posting. Have a great week.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Patricia. You are so right about the negativity on social media. I’m glad you stepped back and decided distance yourself from it. No one needs that in their lives right now. I’m glad you’re getting together with your gal pals and having fun. Creating memories. That’s where it’s at! 🙂
I like to compare social media to ads. They both present things in the best possible light and should be taken with a grain of salt. 🙂
I agree, Lydia. That’s a good way to categorize it. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. 🙂
I think too many people try to create perfect lives for themselves through the way they portray themselves on social media, often to their own detriment. It’s hard to live up to the fantasy.
Yes, it is. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way. I have a friend who talks about Facebook as Fakebook. LOL! She is spot on!
I agree social media cuts you off from reality. One only see nice and happy pictures making people feel that they only have problems where as others are having a great life. One needs to have a balanced view of things.
Absolutely, Arv! Few people post about their problems, and to keep your problems in perspective, you should be actively doing something to keep your mind and body healthy, like exercising, reading, or hiking. Something active. Everything’s good in moderation. Thanks for stopping by, Arv. Sorry, I jumped on my soapbox. LOL! It’s because I’ve been preaching this to my kids. I hope all is well with you!
Yes, Lisa, staying active is important. I’m glad we are on the same page. All is well, at the moment. Thanks for asking.
I do a pretty good job of balancing my screen time with my real world time… I think.
Good for you! Not everyone can say that unfortunately!
I couldn’t agree more, Lisa! Being one of those “evil” Republicans who voted Independent in 1980, and whom Twitter and Facebook bow wants to censor and squash like a cockroach, I spend less and less time on it. I used to spend way too much time on it, as my sisters loved to tell me. Now I hop on for a few minutes because I need to promote my Medium work Savvy Dating. It’s like TV, that other time suck!
Exactly! We have to limit our use of it, just like anything else! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it!
Hey, we Lisas gotta support each other. My middle name is Anne, what’s yours? Marie?
I guess balance is the key, as in most things. But getting and maintaining that balance can be difficult.
Yes it can. I hear you on that one. Especially when you use social media to keep in touch with family and friends. I’ve found chatting with them makes my social media usage go up. 🙂