Why I decided to go offline for a month or so
I’m a typical millennial who always does things for the gram. New haircut, well-presented meals, unboxing of new kicks, a job promotion, a hot date, or any new experiences seemed to never happen until I posted them on social media. The world needed to know, or else they didn’t matter. I sought validation from comments and my number of likes which was very alarming.
Don’t get me wrong, being a content creator also has its rewards. I got to enjoy a lot of freebies like dinners, party entrances, yacht rides, clothes, and beauty products in exchange for 2–3 stories on my Instagram account. It also created multiple bridges that connected me to a lot of amazing and fun people, some of whom I now call “friends”.
I am grateful for all these things but I reached a point where I felt like I was living my life for other people, not for myself.
Every morning, even before I could utter a prayer of thanksgiving, I would first check my phone for notifications, reply to messages, then browse through my feed. A subtle form of idolatry.
In every gathering, while some were having the time of their lives, dancing or singing their hearts out, I was busy on my phone, either chatting or clicking photos like there was no tomorrow — all for the gram.
Being in the present moment, or the “here and now” felt so unfamiliar, like it was “a thing” a lifetime ago.
Not to mention the temptations that were lurking in my inbox — guys that look like they came straight from a magazine or a Netflix rom-com movie! The place where I live is like a big playground for adults and potential playmates are everywhere. I am not that attractive, but I am an independent woman who knows what she wants, and surprisingly, this is what these vultures crave, the thrill of the chase.
I would lie if I’d say that I didn’t enjoy the attention, but I know that attempting to play with fire would someday burn me into ashes. So I ran before the fire catches on me.
Running meant doing the unimaginable. I deactivated all the platforms that I thought I wouldn’t be able to live without — Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Shallow for some, but I struggled big-time to let go of my social media accounts because they are also my emotional outlets where I share my thoughts and emotions when things get a little bit heavier to carry.
It’s hard, but it’s time for me to really live my life outside the internet. I don’t want to please the world anymore because as long as I am truly happy “offline”, then nothing else matters. There are real people, real relationships, and real experiences that are waiting for me out there.
I just started my social media detox journey, but I’m already feeling cool like a cucumber. I now have the time to really talk to God, read books, truly engage, learn a new hobby, and just savor each moment, knowing that it won’t last forever nor will it come back.
I’m done creating REELS, it’s time to get REAL.
