Making Space for the Good Parts of Social Media

Two weeks ago, I deleted my social media apps from my phone. 

Entering my twelfth year in business as a digital marketing agency owner, I find myself depleted for various reasons. 

Increasingly, as a result, creating and posting content on social media has become a lower priority on my list. 

I firmly believe in the power of social media for good: to share meaningful messages, as a place to build genuine connections, and as a place to be generous to others as I amplify their work. 

I believe that when you choose to engage in online spaces, you create possibilities to reach more people with your work. I’ve seen the amazing opportunities sharing content online has created in my life and the lives of my clients. I know that investing time online in a focused, consistent way can create results. 

I’ve preached, time and time again, that it’s important to keep showing up. 

But, at times, for those of us who have showed up for years, it might be important to take a step back. 

I am slowing my online activity so I can be present more meaningfully in the offline world, with fewer distractions.I’ve been the kind of person who picks up my phone to mindlessly scroll through social media channels, justifying it as part of my job, as research, when really it’s just a waste of time. 

By reducing my meaningless social media time, I am creating space for the best parts of social media: sharing value, connecting, and supporting others and their messages. 

For me and most likely others who are very active on social media, if showing up online is a choice, not showing up is also a choice. 

After two weeks of minimal exposure to social media, I feel more free and less depleted. I’ve looked at social channels, sparingly, on my laptop. I’ve considered resuming posting, but decided to give myself a bit more time and space. I’m still sharing value on my podcast and through my newsletter, but I’m hesitant to resume social media posting until I can commit to being consistent again. 

I know that this is a break and not an exit. But I hope that my willingness to step back in order to re-enter social spaces more mindfully gives my clients, potential clients, and others who may be burned out or disillusioned with social media the freedom to make a similar choice. The upside is that when I do choose to re-engage, it will be with a renewed commitment to use social media for good, while leaving the less healthy parts behind.