Is social media keeping you from writing your book?
That’s a question you need to consider if you’re even halfway serious about becoming an author. Really though, it’s a question to consider regardless of what your life goals are.
Do you want to be a better significant other, parent, friend and/or person? You could start by cutting back on how much time you spend on social media.
All of that scrolling, clicking and getting outraged has a way of diverting time and emotions away from people who matter, after all.
Are you interested in getting in shape, going somewhere or conquering some physical activity? Getting off of social media could be a great first step.
Would you like to learn how to be content with what you have, who you are, and what you are and aren’t capable of? Then run away screaming from social media, because it’s an absolute confidence killer. On top of being an absolute time waster.
On top of having a wide range of other negative effects.
Did you know that, less than a year ago, a former high-ranking Facebook executive came out with heavy criticism against his former company? According to the UK’s Guardian:
Chamath Palihapitiya, who was vice-president for user growth at Facebook before he left the company in 2011, said: “The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation…
You can read the whole article right here.
Nor is it just Facebook that’s guilty of such harmful practices or results. Its competitors have actual algorithms to keep you scrolling far longer than you should.
Still, it’s hardly all social media’s fault for the fact that we're wasting our lives away when we’re the ones who keep coming back for more.
And more.
And more.
And more.
I recently got to edit an awesome book by Rachel Livoni called Diary of a Social Media Detox: How One Woman Transformed Her Life By Taking a Break. It was extremely entertaining but also extremely thought-provoking as she detailed exactly how she realized she was addicted… and what she did about it.
What she did about it was to cut herself off from all social media for a whole entire month!
Do you know how much she accomplished? How much she discovered about the world and the people around her? How much she discovered about herself?
To know that answer, you’ll have to read the book itself. Suffice it to say, however, that what she did with all her freed-up time was impressive.
Social media has its benefits, mind you. Neither Innovative Editing nor Jeannette DiLouie is entirely anti-social media, as evidenced by their online presences.
Anyone searching the world wide web can find Innovative Editing at more than just www.InnovativeEditing.com. There’s also its Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn pages to take into consideration.
Jeannette DiLouie, meanwhile, has her personal page and author page on Facebook in addition to www.JeannetteDiLouie.com.
It's just that social media of any kind has a very bad habit of sucking up vast amounts of time we can’t ever get back. Do yourself a favor and gauge it one day: How many minutes or hours per 24-hour cycle do you spend liking, commenting or searching on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and the like?
You might be shocked. And disgusted.
It might even motivate you to do what Rachel Livoni did and take a 30-day break to explore the real world.
It might even motivate you into writing your book.