Existential Dread & Social Media: 9 Tips for Users Considering Quitting or Reducing Use
I'm seeing a MAJOR increase in folks talking about divesting from dominant social media platforms (X, meta, TikTok) in light of shifting political landscapes, policies, & practices.
For some of you, this questioning is not new... it's just heightened right now.
For others, you are spiraling about where/how to best direct your energy in ways you haven't fully grappled with before.
As someone who has been obsessed with questioning these platforms for years, I have some advice.
Start small and don't over-promise yourself on cutting back (ex: try taking a day or a weekend off these platforms before promising to get off for a month or for forever).
Don't just voyeur! Resigning to not posting but still consuming media on here from others is actually clinically proven to wreak havoc on mental health!
Consider input/output ratios widely in your life—not just on social media. (Ex: Do you talk and write a lot for work? Maybe you need to relax and take more media in during your ur off-time. Are you constantly consuming information? Considering journaling, collaging, sending an audio message to a friend, etc.)
Don't let panic and fear take over. YES, this is an intense and weird social/ political moment for the Internet and the world. YES, it will probably get weirder. YES, there are so many valid things to be concerned and upset about right now. AND, when we stop taking care of ourselves and each other because we are overwhelmed, we give up power. Know how to self-soothe beyond scrolling. Ask for help. Check in with your people. Befriend a local tree. Think of grappling with systemic issues as a life-long marathon, not a race. Make space to breathe.
Take privacy seriously. Readjust your settings. Inventory what you share. Remember that your profiles can NEVER encompass your wholeness. Air on the side of safety and accept being misunderstood/less visible.
If you are going to reduce time spent on these apps, you need to have replacement activities that actually work for you. When the urge to post or scroll emerges, what will you do instead?
Dedicate time to envisioning a better future. What is your cyborg daydream? What would your ideal social media platform look like? What features would it have? How would it be run? Can you envision touching... feeling... using... technology that is alignment with your values? Write these visions down. Tell your friends about them. Draw them. Paint them. Sing them. Dream them alive! Everything that exists at your fingertips today was once just a wild idea...
Balance commitment and flexibility. Set realistic goals and push yourself to stick to them. AND, give yourself permission to change your mind as you access new and different information and perspectives. This balance is so hard to hold. Ask others for support and accountability.
Remember when LiveJournal or MySace or Tumblr or Facebook, etc. felt like it was your everything? It's probably not now... (I know some of y'all are outliers). Archive your memories, work, and important information outside of these platforms (on a hard drive or cloud storage) *and* remember impermanence. I like to think of my social profiles as sand mandalas—they will eventually disappear! As will I! I can curate them with care, and, the less attached I am to them the more free I am to live my life.
Kyilkhor, also known as sand mandala, symbolizes the transitory nature of things. As part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, all things material are seen as temporal. Photo: Monks sweeping away the colored sand mandala of Shri Hevajra, Tharlam Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal (from Wonderlane on Flikr)
I’m NOT trying to convince anyone to STAY on these platforms or push themselves to be more active in spaces that don’t feel in alignment with their values—if you are ready to hit that delete button, I am not here to stop you! I just want to make sure you have alternative resources set up to meet your needs.
For years, I have supported people grappling with their love-hate relationship with social media . . . and I’ve learned that abrupt change isn’t always sustainable. Creating new habits, intentions, and boundaries gradually can help our systems adjust profoundly.
And for those NOT ready or interested in leaving social media, I see you. It’s a tool! It’s a resource! It can be misused, draining, and dangerous… but HOW and WHY we use it makes a difference.
I'm here. Rooting for us. I'll still be on Instagram, as I have been, with lots of curiosity and clear boundaries. If you want personalized support with a digital transition of any kind, email me about Creative Coaching.
G Weaver
cyborg.daydream@gmail.com