As you may know, if you read this blog, like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, or Google Plus, or subscribe to my YouTube channel, I’ve been taking a one-week break from social media. For my own part, I’m glad I got off the social media treadmill, if only temporarily. However, I’m happy to be back in the virtual saddle, so to speak.
For what its worth, here are a few reasons to take a break from social media:
Recharging Your Mental Batteries: One thing about being constantly connecting with people online is that it can wear you down over time. Sometimes a person simply must stop communicating with anyone and everyone on the Net, because you need time to yourself.
Reducing Stress in Your Life: Our lives are filled with stressful activities every day. There are things we must do, things we could do, and things we aspire to do. And these things could be said to apply to our work, as well as our personal lives. By disconnecting from social media now and then, we can be less distracted by what we do and say online and more focused on balancing our priorities, thus reducing stress in our lives.
Being Here Now: Be Here Now was the name of a book I read many, many years ago. The thing I remember most about the book was that it emphasized the importance of actually living in the moment. To my mind, living in the moment requires that one pay attention to their surroundings. Now … if you’re constantly checking your various social media accounts for “likes” or comments, or if you’re constantly thinking about things you should be tweeting, Instagramming, posting or pinning, or “liking” or commenting on other people’s tweets, pins, posts or what-have-you, how can you be really mindful of your surroundings? Got that? 🙂
And yet, but for the Internet, I wouldn’t have known about this really awesome marriage proposal on the DC-area Metro.
Nor would I have been able to witness this amazing rescue of a man in a wheelchair, who rolled off the edge of a Metro platform!
Finally, here’s an infographic that provides a shitload of rules for social media!
Frankly, my feeling about expletives is, if you don’t like them, then don’t read this blog.
Now, you might say …
Yes, it is. But this is my blog and I’m entitled to it. There, I said it. 🙂
Finally, always remember: Want to Be a Writer? First Be a Mensch.
PS: What Instagram (& other Social Media) Doesn’t Have to Be.
