A month or so ago I took all social media apps off my phone.
I didn’t delete my accounts and I didn’t specify to myself how much I could spend on these sites. I just removed the apps from my phone, which is where I usually accessed them.
I like seeing what people are up to on Facebook, or noting the Pinterest ideas on she-sheds, bathroom cabinets, or how to paint little rocks so they look like a ladybug.
But what I’ve discovered over the last month is that I don’t like it all enough to overcome the small barrier of opening my laptop.
I think I’ve accessed Facebook and LinkedIn about once each over the last month, and Pinterest not at all. I have probably saved myself a day’s worth of time - maybe 8 hours. A couple of hours a week was probably all I used to spend on all the apps combined, which is a lot less than average (about a fifth of average actually), but when you add it up, it’s still a lot…IF you’re not getting much value out of it.
And introducing a small barrier showed me how much I actually value it. I definitely need to make more effort to stay in touch with the few friends where my main news about them was via Facebook, but….that’s about it.
I use email for work, I read select articles (often on Substack) and news on my phone, I keep up with some family and friends on WhatsApp and text, and I spend a good 5-to-9 hours a day, 4-to-5 days a week in front of computer screens.
I think that’s more than enough.
I’ll be leaving the social media apps off my phone from now on.
“But what I’ve discovered over the last month is that I don’t like it all enough to overcome the small barrier of opening my laptop.”
Interesting point... And 8 hours a month of saved time is 12 work days a year. Hmmm....
I use social media almost solely for work. I think to really save time I’d have to delete the news apps - that’s the rabbit hole I fall into most often.
But then, between you and HCR I don’t know that I need much beyond Substack anyway, right? Food for thought...🤔😉☺️