Some of the biggest time wasters in my life are several circular icons on my phone.
Facebook, Messenger, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram. You name it.
There were many others I also used before, such as Snapchat, TikTok, and Tumblr, that would suck the life out of me.
Why would I allow myself to become distracted by these demons of the internet? To become pulled down a soulless adventure of scrolling? 💀
A few minutes, hours, or days of instant entertainment.
They are one of my greatest enemies to my mental health, focus, and attention, and yet the shackles are difficult to be set free from. ⛓️
Reducing usage, putting timers, or even uninstalling apps are all attempts to prevent the addiction from rooting deeply under my cerebral skin. 🧠
And on some end, they work.
Recently, though, as I tried to clear my mind from the stupor of pixelated blue light, I started to ask myself a question: 🤔
What if I could turn my greatest enemy, into my friend? My greatest weakness, into my strength? My greatest distraction, into a tool of focus?
I’ve noticed that social media, one of the biggest “time-wasters” of our lives, can become one of our greatest tools in our toolkit to connect, stand out, and inspire others in life. 🛠️ 🧰
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🐦 Twitter, though considered a cesspool of anger and negative vibes, has been used by quite a few people as a form of networking - creating connections and sharing innovative thoughts.
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📷 Instagram has been used to share updates, promote brands, and display inspirational quotes.
🎥 YouTube has been used to engage with communities and share engaging stories with emotional lessons to takeaway.
All I need to do is figure out how to step out into social media, as it’s not comfortable anymore for me to post there anymore. (okay boomer 👴 )
I used to post broadly on social media before, but I stopped as I transitioned to one on one interactions and familiar communities. I started to view social media as a hassle to manage and an avenue of addiction. So I’ve avoided utilizing it.
But slowly, I’m trying to build up the courage to interact and engage with others via social media. 🤖
Though I feel deathly afraid to broadcast to people I haven’t talked to in a while, it’s uncomfortable to meet new strangers, and I worry that I won’t be accepted or receive approval via every post, I want to change.
I want to use social media as a tool to be more real, to connect with others, and to inspire healthy positive change.
So far, I’ve posted about my wisdom teeth removal with dad level jokes and shared my passion project website I’ve been working on, and I feel like my social posting sore muscles haven’t moved in ages. 💪
But I’m seeing progress, gaining confidence, and can see the opportunity with time and dedication. I’m still working through social media addiction, but I can see how social media can no longer be constricting and become a tool for good - for myself and for others.
Questions to ponder: 🤔
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How do you currently use social media, if at all? Is it an addiction or a tool?
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What is one way you can use social media (or other platforms) as a tool to benefit others and yourself?