I’ll start this blog with a health warning.
I am in no way a social media expert, and in fact often consider myself…
A Sinclair ZX Spectrum kid in the internet age.
However...
If you work in the communication trade, you need at least a little presence and knowledge on the social media front.
Which also means knowing how to manage it in terms of your time and exposure.
I used to post, on average, every other day, so three or four times a week.
But lately I’ve had a couple of major projects on, which have taken up most of my time.
So I’ve had to be ruthless in cutting back on areas which are non-essential.
That means posting once or twice a week on social media.
Which has had some interesting effects.
First of all, I haven’t missed it in the slightest.
When I used to post, I felt obliged to have a quick scroll to see what was going on in the world.
This is amazingly hypocritical for a former BBC news correspondent, and I apologise, but…
It was largely bad, sad, and distressing news, not to mention some horrible comments.
So emotionally, I feel better not being exposed to it all.
Have I suffered in terms of connections, and opportunities coming my way?
Not as far as I can judge.
They still seem to come in just as frequently as before my online exile.
Okay, it’s only been a month, and it’s hardly a robust analysis, but I don’t have any sense that I've missed out on much.
Next question - has the internet missed me?
The megalomaniac, egotistical self would like to say a big yes at this point.
But, being honest…
I’m sad to say, not at all.
No one, but no one (cry, sob!) has asked where I've been.
But what I have felt good about is…
A sense of beating big tech.
They design their platforms to be addictive.
And it’s a small but pleasing victory to show it’s not so hard to escape that hold.
Critically, have I had more time to devote to the projects I find rewarding, both emotionally and financially?
That’s a big, bold yes.
Perhaps not in terms of the strict amount of time to spend on them.
I never used to give much space to social media, so I’m probably only freeing up about an hour a week in total.
But! And it's a big but.
I sense I've been able to think more clearly without the hangover of a doomscroll, and all the unpleasantness I’ve been exposed to lingering in my mind.
It leaves my brain clearer to focus on more important matters.
To reiterate, I completely accept this was a totally unscientific experiment, and brought about by necessity…
But nonetheless, given what I've discovered, my new social media presence is a strategy I may come to adopt.
Finally for this blog, I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Do you think you spend too much time on social media? If so, why?
Do you feel you need to, or do you struggle to stop yourself?
You can get in touch via the comments. I look forward to hearing from you.
