…..is there ever a good time for a social media hiatus?

Well, actually, for me the answer would be yes.  Was the middle of a global health crisis the best time?  Likely not for most but again, for me, the answer is yes.

Years ago, while working at BlackBerry in its heyday of ‘smart phone’ innovation, I was a beta tester for the Facebook app but it took me almost two years to start building my contacts and really enjoying the experience.  Years later I joined Instagram and finally Twitter.  It was mid-year 2019 that I had noticed my ‘attachment’ to social media may more truthfully be referred to as an addiction.  I knew I used the apps a lot but always justified the behaviour as ‘passing time’ and ‘keeping up with friends’, both of which in all honesty, was true.  It was great for spending time in waiting rooms or when arriving to pick up kids a little early.  I justified keeping the phone on me at all times as keeping connected to work.  After all, “always on, always connected” was our motto in the early days.  And, of course, I did read the news on the phone too after all!  Somewhere over time my use of the device became much more.  The Distracted Driving laws in Ontario brought that home when I realized that I had the very strong desire to pull my phone out at stop lights and in fast-food drive-through lines that weren’t moving quite fast enough. 

For me, the Christmas Season 2019 broke the reality that I was somewhat addicted to social media.  As a former Social Worker, I know applying ‘somewhat’ to ‘addicted’ creates a convenient oxymoron.  It was during a trip home from work in Winnipeg that I realized I had spent a lot of time with my face in my phone while the rest of the world was passing me by.   I realized that I was using my phone to keep me company, to keep my mind busy and generally to pass time.  This awareness had begun a little earlier in the fall at a time when the political campaigning in the US (is there actually ever a time they are not on the trail?!) combined with the pre-election campaigning here in Canada, in addition to the increasing antics of the president of the United States, was more than enough ‘entertainment’ to fill idle time.  But then I noticed that I wasn’t just connecting during waits at airports or in some office waiting rooms.  It was around Christmas that I noticed I was actually losing some sleep because I would grab my phone if I woke during the night, again for the apparent purpose of passing time until I fell back asleep but recognizing that reviewing Twitter was actually more stimulating than it was relaxing.  I was always just a bit angry, a bit edgy, and a bit critical.  Finally, while on a trip home, I was in a near panic attack when I realized at time of boarding that the plane was an older model that had no charging stations at the seat and the considerable battery capacity I’d used to ‘pass the time’ put my ability to watch my own entertainment at risk.  That is when I recognized the final straw.  I knew I needed to make a change. 

Still, the vice of choice is hard to give up.  So I set my sights on the Lenten season.  That would give me time to psychologically adjust to the impending doom…er…I mean, withdrawal.  And it would be a solidly defined period of 40 days (and 40 nights) to work through whatever frustrations I was about to experience and which would be a full 11 days longer than the minimum 28 day recommended withdrawal period. 

Now, to be fully transparent regarding my experience, I must say that I did leave *some of my Facebook notifications turned on.  I truly and sincerely did not want to miss birthdays of some of the friends I have.  And Twitter tended to send notifications for a couple of my contacts, Jann Arden for one as example, and I truly don’t know how I have her and a handful of others set up but I did appreciate seeing their tweets come forward during my period in the social media desert.  With Instagram, I only received notifications for the group chats I have with my kids and grandkids. 

So, were there lessons learned come Easter?  Absolutely there were.  I learned that my head isn’t such a bad place to spend a little time once in a while and ‘people watching’ is an interesting pastime too.  I realized that I could sit in the Calgary or Winnipeg airports and guess, with a fair level of confidence, where people were coming from or going to based on their attire.  I also enjoyed stretches of time watching young parents travel with young kids and was reminded how busy but also how sweet and innocent little ones are.  I learned that the news media is a much better source of information than Twitter, although I must say that some are much better at presenting information while avoiding sensationalism than others.  But see, I learned that too!  I learned that my thoughts should not be avoided because I actually have some good ones.  I learned that I am saying things like, ‘what did I say I needed to pick up at the store?’ or ‘I know I asked you this earlier, but remind me what you answered’ a whole lot less.   I also learned that I don’t have to carry my phone with me everywhere I go as it will definitely be waiting for me right where I left it when I come back.  Finally, I learned that I can basically drop right back off to sleep when I wake up during the night.

Enjoy…m