It’s been five months since I pulled the plug on @secondgendesi on Instagram.
I have a post explaining why here, but now that my bestie Christina and I are diving into the “pertinent” topics of today’s late 20s/30-something millennial on our new podcast Pour the Coffee, I thought it would be an interesting topic to cover through audio [click here to listen][listen on Spotify]!
Our “episode 2” covers exactly what the title of this blog post says, “It’s Okay to Not Be on Social Media“, and it is a *solo* episode featuring moi since Chrizz still has socials (lol!).
I actually recorded this episode several weeks before Pour the Coffee materialized. I had this sudden urge to talk about the topic in a free-flowing way:
“If you ask Pree for her social media handles, she’ll have nothing to offer you except the URL of her blog. In this solo episode, Pree talks about why she left a platform millions of people use for the sake of her mental health. She’ll go over…
[x] Her journey with the internet/blogging
[x] Her beginnings with Instagram as a food blogger
[x] Creating a new blog and Instagram in the early 2020s
[x] The red flags of the platform and toxic traits of “influencers” and niche accounts
[x] Why getting off social media altogether was the best for her mental health”
For those that want a written recap, I started writing about how I felt as soon as one week off the platform. Now with this blog post, it seems like an appropriate time to share!
How do I feel about leaving social media (i.e Instagram)?
Despite moments where I do feel isolated, I’m overall very proud of myself for leaving such a toxic environment. I think the biggest thing I gained was releasing unnecessary pressure of “following” people I didn’t want to follow. Despite so-called self-help “gurus” embracing the selfish notion of “look out for yourself” and “declutter your feed for your mental health”, I’m the kind of person who will always think about the other person affected.
When I had SGD on IG, it always put me in a funk whenever I saw someone I thought I had good rapport with (as much as one could have virtually) unfollow me. Towards the end of my IG stint, I even directly DM’d people asking why.
Yeah, I went there. Because it did bother me.
What is there to do with this newfound free time?
Lately, focusing on my job. Focusing on the next steps for the job I eventually want to land. Trying to enjoy things without worrying about others think…
…but it’s hard. Especially, when everyone around you is connected to social media in some form.
As much as I try to push people to go back to reading blogs (mine included!) and check in on my WhatsApp status if they’re *that* curious to know what’s up with me, it still hurts me to know people are okay with living life so attached to their phones.
Some days it’s easier to focus on creative projects, other days I just want to curl up and watch TV all day. Even if there is newfound free time because I ditched one unproductive source of consumption, it doesn’t mean I can be 100% productive with that newfound free time, and that’s okay.
Will I ever go back?
It will definitely depend on the purpose. Perhaps if my writing projects get anywhere and social media can help boost exposure, it would make sense at that point.
If I figure out a new niche or find something passionate about that I am motivated about growing, maybe…
But for now, I’m not compelled to “start over” and mutually follow people I don’t want to follow.
Nothing on that platform makes sense anymore. Pictures of frozen potatoes get more likes than fancy cappuccinos. Carousel posts with spelling mistakes somehow have hundreds of comments yet posts I made for a science education account rank low when it comes to engagement…
Instagram is a useful tool if you’ve got something to sell or promote, and it’s decent entertainment (I guess…) if you’re a passive consumer who doesn’t care much about “creating”. But becoming an “IG sensation” is not as easy as it was 10 years ago. The platform is heavily saturated, the algorithm is wonky, and it really does more harm than good to someone with earnest, but naïve intentions.
If you need some verbal company and want to hear my perspective on why I left social media, please give episode 2 of Pour the Coffee a listen! Let me know what you think in the comments!
Are you off social media/Instagram?
Have you thought about leaving? What makes you hesitate?