Social Media is meant to be social. Otherwise, it would just be thought of as an interactive computer game. It is meant to be a pleasant distraction. It is not meant to be a completely overwhelming distraction.

Companies are looking to be the next Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat ad Instagram. They are looking to hit upon that great idea that takes off with millions of users, translating into potentially millions in revenue. At what point does one need to say enough is enough? No one can deny social media has bridged the global gap in how people communicate.

Time is a commodity with a value determined by each of us as individuals. No one needs to spend a ton of time on social media and have it consume their lives. It is happening to many. Everyone knows someone or is someone who probably is too attached to one or more platforms. I was one of those someones. Too attached to Facebook and Twitter at the same time. My reasons for leaving Facebook are numerous and mostly surround their significant respect for privacy rights and user content. Twitter to its’ credit, appears to be working constantly to improve its’ experience for users. New recent additions to Twitter are helping to filter timelines down so users have a more curated feed.

My only social media is now down to Twitter. It is a minimalist approach for me compared to what I was doing before. There is a LinkedIN account and an old Pinterest board out there that I never check and may drop when time permits. My disdain for Facebook has pretty much soured me off it for good. There are a few readers who have shared my work and articles on their and that is still perfectly fine. It is important to me that users who see value in my work share it. It’s humbling to have that kind of readership no matter where it is shared.

If you are one of the someones who has their day taken up by significant time on social media, take a moment to stop and think about what else you could be doing with that time. Take some time to evaluate what you do with that time. Does it really add value to your life to be spending all of that time in a social media rabbit hole? Do you have Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat and Instagram open all at once? Look at what platforms add the most value to your life. Consider deleting or suspending the social media that is of less or no value.

Consider a cleanse and clear of your social media. Give yourself some of that valuable time back. You probably can use it for better things.

@WriterDann

A version of this post was previously published on dannalexander.com and is republished here with permission from the author.

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