Social media plays a huge role in my life. It is my job, after all. The idea of taking any sort of break from posting and checking the platforms has always felt near impossible. After watching several of my favorite influencers (particularly Lee from America) do it, I was inspired to give it a try. Their careers are also built on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, so if they can do it I would definitely be capable. Although I only took a break for the weekend, I started to notice the benefits of my social media detox after less than a day. I didn’t have any feeling of FOMO. By not watching how other people were spending their weekends, I didn’t have any “fear of missing out.” It’s easy to wish you were doing something else with your day when you’re watching others lounge by the beach, relax on a rooftop, or eat at an incredible restaurant. For once, I had clear direction of what I wanted to do with my day. I was able to live out the weekend without feeling pressured to change plans based on the activities others were broadcasting on social media. I woke up with a clear mind. Usually, I do my best to wait to check social media until about an hour after I wake up. This becomes difficult once I pick up my phone because clicking on the Instagram and Facebook apps are just a habit of mine. By eliminating this distraction all together, I was able to wake up with a clear mind and focus on the day ahead. It was refreshing to start my morning with a heart of gratitude for what I have instead of consuming myself with other people's lives so early in the day. I had more time for important things. I can’t tell you last time I was really able to practice my hobbies. This break made me realize how much time I spend scrolling through social media, instead of reading or writing. Not to mention all of the chores I got done! I power cleaned and organized my way through the weekend. Getting through my to-do list without any distractions was the best feeling ever. I worked on relationships. Not having social media to DM friends and family, actually made me pick up the phone and talk to them. For those that I met face-to-face, it was refreshing to not have the urge to look at my phone in the middle of our conversation browse Instagram. By forcing myself to have real, verbal communication, I was able to work on building stronger relationships with others. It made me think about why I share. For many, social media is a highlight reel. It’s the place to share the best parts of life, while eliminating the trials and “not so glamorous” aspects of the everyday. I don’t want my social media pages to be like that. I believe that our stories can be shared to impact and encourage others. So why am I not doing more of that? I want to use my pages to encourage others with my story, while using them as a platform to express my creativity. Many times, I’ll just share a post or story just to share it. Sometimes there's no real purpose for it. This was a flaw that became really prominent to me over the weekend. Let’s be real here.
I love social media. I wouldn’t have a career in the industry if creating content and building strategies wasn’t a passion of mine. However, this break was a reminder to establish healthy usage habits with the platforms. I think I will continue to “detox” once a month and maybe I’ll even try extending it past the weekend. If you’ve ever taken this challenge before, let me know what you learned in the comments below!
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Have you heard the buzz about IGTV? No? Well, it's Instagram's "most exciting" announcement to date, besides hitting 1 billion users this month. This update comes five years after the launch of video on the platform. The goal is to draw consumers closer to the creators they love, and give users the ability to curate unique content that educates and inspires others. Did I mention it's a direct hit at YouTube?
Here's what we know, so far:
Several influencers and past-Vine celebs were apart of the launch by creating new content, just for IGTV. It is Instagram's goal to leverage these digital stars to inspire others to join them in using the new platform. The biggest question is whether or not IGTV will succeed after the somewhat mediocre success of Snapchat Discover and Facebook Watch. At first, I wasn't so sure about this update. I didn't understand the point of it or how it would be successful, given the behavior of users on the social media platform. However, now that I've been able to play around with IGTV and create my own videos, I am quite impressed with how fun and user-friendly it is. I am really hoping this update works out for Instagram. What do you think? Will IGTV survive and thrive? |
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