Moving Away from Social Media

Last night I logged out of my instagram and deleted the app. A couple of weeks before that, I deactivated my facebook. Prior to that I decided to permanently get rid of my snapchat. Why? Baby steps. I am taking baby steps towards a life free of social media.

I remember a time when I wasn't so concerned about the lives of others. I also remember a time when I wasn't so concerned about showing others that I have a life. That time is definitely not now, and my concern has increased throughout the years moving from one social media site to another. It's a suffocating life, and it makes me feel like I am not truly living. 

Why do I feel the need to post a picture on instagram whenever I am doing something? Why did I feel the need to constantly put up a status on facebook when I was younger (I thank God my obnoxious facebook days ended because God knows I was a very obnoxious facebook user in my early teen years)? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I want to find out what life would be like if I didn't feel this need to  constantly broadcast my life to all my friends, acquaintances and even enemies (not that I consider anyone my enemy but you never know who considers you their enemy). The idea that I am so willing to broadcast so many things about myself leaves me with an unsettling feeling because I have always been a fairly private person. Moreover, it leaves me caring about what others think of me, and honestly I don't want to live life based on what others think of me. I want to live life based on what I think of myself. Before putting up a facebook status or an instagram picture I would always think to myself what if people judge me negatively for this post? Well, people will judge you negatively based on themselves, not based on you (unless you put up something that is actually worthy of negativity). 

To sum it up, I don't think that social media is terrible. Through facebook I have been able to maintain contact with my friends all over the world. Through instagram I can share my love for photography and appreciate people's beauty. So, I'm not antisocial media. What I am against is:

1. People being so concerned about the lives of others.
2. People depending on social media for their self esteem.
3.  People feeling like they must show the world that they have a life by constantly posting about what they are doing. As long as you are alive you have a life.
4. People not living because they need to check social media constantly.

I'm sure there are other things that I am against, but I can't think of them right now. I just believe that we should all be at the point in out lives where if all social media sites/apps were to no longer exist we would not be phased and life would go on.