The day I deleted FB and Instagram from my phone
It was way harder than deleting Tinder, that’s for sure
If you’re a productivity fanatic like me and you’ve read gazillion articles about how social media is a distraction and hindering you from achieving success, or how it’s filled with low quality information (most of the time) that you’re at risk of brain degeneration(euphemism for stupid fyi); you obviously get the hint that its not a space you should be committing too much of your time in.
But If you’re also someone who has this “obsession” known as FOMO(like me), and is used to going on these apps EVERY TIME you unlock that phone…
Its definitely much easier said than done- to completely stay off these apps or even control and limit your usage of these apps that is.
Before I made the decision to completely delete it off my phone, I tried to tell myself to only go on the app ‘when necessary’ without the need of deleting the app altogether.
I realized saying that, made me convince myself that, ALL THE TIME it is, ‘necessary’.
I’m so sick of not keeping the promises I’ve made to myself; so this time I’m just like-
Fuck it. I’m just gonna do it and don’t allow time to rationalize myself out of it.
**Hold app for 2 seconds, press ‘X’. Done.
So now, I’ll bring a book everywhere I go, I’ll play some vocabulary or coding games on my phone (yea, who knew I was an intrinsic geek), or I’ll just people watch. With my recent fascination of human behaviour and upbringing, and the enjoyment of asking questions; I’ll observe and ask myself random questions as I people watch.
For example, If I see an old man sitting alone on a bench with a smart phone, I wonder what is he thinking and how is he feeling, why did he choose to be here and what is he doing on his smart phone at that moment? What he has been through in his life in general? Was he in the military during the WWII? Does he own plots of land in rural China? I wonder if he has tons of whats app groups like my parent does now.
Another fun thing to do is to eavesdrop on people’s conversation (subtly). That’s how you get to do market research on the latest trends (for free!), on how and what people are thinking and talking about nowadays, or just be grateful that you don’t have to deal with shallow conversations(e.g. celebrities’s life/rumour etc.) in your own conversations with others.
As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in the park next to 2 ladies, eavesdropping in their conversation about granola bars. One lady commented that the Nature Valley bars were too messy to eat and too soft in texture. For someone who makes protein bars for a living, these are useful tips!
I have to admit, I’m not completely off Instagram or FB since I can still access it whenever I’m on my laptop (so it’s not a complete digital detox); but hey as the cliche goes: “One step at a time goes a long way”. Moreover I still need it to inform my mum that I’m alright or else I’m gonna hear cops knocking on my door soon asking whether I’m alive.
Though now, I definitely spend much less time on these apps and It’s much easier to avoid since it’s not just one-click of an app away. At least on the computer it gives me some time to think whether I should go on it before I type in the URL, and usually If I’m on my computer I’ll be already focused on deep work like writing, online courses etc.
Essentially, I’m experiencing JOMO.
I’m learning to value solitude, to face boredom, and to use my creativity to create active stimulation for myself. I’m rejoicing in the fact that I can connect with my thoughts, feelings, and the current environment without the temptation of comparing my life to others that I see on social media.
Anyway I’ve been sitting in this park forever, gosh I hope my parking ticket is still valid. Thanks for reading!
Zen out,
Tien Cin
Add me on Instagram @tiencinyong for my (occasional) social media purges.