I’ve grown up in the social media age, and like many people, struggle immensely to find balance with these platforms that are infiltrating nearly every aspect of our lives. I’ve tried — and failed — to create a happy relationship within my day and within my life with things like Instagram, and feel that it’s pretty black and white for me.
I’ve had an insane amount of positive things occur from using Instagram or Facebook over the past few years. My “network” has grown, I’ve developed really high quality and meaningful relationships, and important doors have opened. But for me, the negatives outweigh these positives. I’ve never felt so fragmented mentally. I can’t focus on simple tasks, let alone big projects in my Master’s program or pursuing the kind of Deep Work that is required for the type of learning I’m interested in. I struggle with anxiety and depression. Imposter syndrome and endless comparison. Many days I just feel lost. All of this has been coupled with this addiction to my phone and various social media platforms, perhaps most notably Instagram.
Obviously, this correlation doesn’t equal causation. There’s plenty more to the story, and it’s quite possible that I’m just a head case. I’ve justified staying glued to these apps and non-stop connectivity because I think it’s a necessity for growing my “brand” or moving towards “success”. But after many weeks of deep thinking on this topic and listening to conversations like this and this and this, I’m not convinced by my original thoughts. I’m tired of feeling this way. I’m tired of feeling like a slave to my phone and being the product of these platforms, headed down a path of distraction and negative thought patterns. I’m not saying Instagram or Facebook are inherently bad…I’m just seeing a pattern within myself between unhappiness and use of these platforms. And I’m not alone.
I can’t express all of my thoughts on this subject, but I shared many more of them on a podcast episode (I’ve since expanded upon my original thoughts). You can listen on Apple Podcasts as well. If you’re interested in this topic, you might find our conversation valuable. I’ve created this website as a place for people to connect with me, as I’m still very much focused on the things that get me excited, like making podcasts, videos, or photographs. Science. Riding bicycles. All of which were super cool and relevant before social media.
-J