I completely dropped social media four years ago. Deleted Facebook. Deleted Twitter. Shut down the blog.
I was a power user. I cultivated an online presence. (It felt like) people wanted to hear what I had to say.
And then I decided to pull the plug. 100%, full stop.
I was ready for the fallout. I was ready for the text messages and phone calls. “What happened?” “Are you ok?”
Instead, what I got was silence.
It kind of reminded me of the scene in Bettlejuice, after the Maitlands try to frighten the Deetzes at the dinner party by having them sing and dance to “The Banana Boat Song.” Afterwards, they’re just looking out the window, waiting for the Deetzes to come rushing out.
“Any second now.”
With the exception of a handful of emails over the course of the first year, most folks didn’t seem to notice.
For the most part, pulling the plug meant more time, less distraction, and less frustration. Sure, there were opportunities I may have missed, people I failed to meet, and certainly interesting things I didn’t read as a result. But honestly, I enjoyed the break. Most people will admit that they feel locked into it at this point and they can’t escape.
Pulling the plug and taking some time allows us to reset the relationship.
The truth is, when it comes to social media and whether you’re on it or not, nobody really cares. The thing people notice most about social media is their own presence in it – not the lack of someone else’s.
It’s not going away, but you can choose how you participate.
By the way, if you’re curious about why I pulled the plug in the first place, sign up for my newsletter. I lay it out.
Enjoy the posts? Subscribe to the monthly newsletter.
Carrying the Gun 