Last year, I decided to quit social networks for a year. I stopped using Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I didn’t delete my accounts, just the apps and disabled all email notifications. About once a week, I checked Facebook and Instagram to see what was up from a web browser. I never engaged, never followed anyone or posting anything.
It was a liberating experience.
I actually never missed Facebook. I actually forgot about Facebook after a while. Today when I go to Facebook, it reminds me of those reality TV shows on broadcast TV with overly obvious product placements interspersed every 5 minutes with 5 minutes of ads.
Instagram is ok-ish, but I don’t think I’ll be actively engaging with it anymore. It feels too much like a vanity platform. It’s fun to take a look when I’m bored which is not very often.
Twitter I do miss, but it’s also the most involved. It was a place to meet people and get inspired by more off-the-beaten-path content. But it’s also by far the messiest of platforms. You either in it and spend time on it or you don’t. There’s not really a middle ground. In many ways, the algorithmic timeline made it even worse. At least with the chronological timeline, you get a sense on where you are in time. I’m glad they brought back the chronological timeline.
So what’s next after a year?
I’ve decided to go with Snapchat. LOL. Just kidding.
In all seriousness, Facebook is off permanently because I find it boring, but it’s useful as a personal LinkedIn. On Instagram, I use a faux-pas account as a replacement for Path until something better comes along.
I’ll be back on Twitter.