I realised I needed to stop using a phone when I realised it was not serving me. I found that out of all the people I got to talk to online, none were people I wanted to actually wanted to talk to, but were just there to avoid me having to deal with my own problems.
I felt like socialising in person was a lot more different to socialising online, different skills were developed, and since there is less fear of who you are talking to online, the result is that people act almost completely different to their online persona, they hide their flaws. Being rude or over-confident as you would be online is simply not as respectable when done in person. (see video on the mike tyson podcast about glofication of silly and immature things) I found that that coolest people online were ones who are not at all fun in real life, I also found that the coolest people in person where simply not as “flaming” online. I found that social media is very addictive because it slowly but surely takes away your ability to socialise in person, and therefore makes more of a battery for the matrix, so to speak. However in this day and age it is much harder to meet your social needs in person without it, so I can see why you would want to have a smartphone, and use instant messaging sites.
%% Every time you feel anxious, you check your phone, and therefore if I was part of a company profiting off of you spending time on your phone, I want you to feel as anxious as possible! If every time you feel anxious, you check your phone, then social media companies want you to be as anxious as possible.
I had come to a dilemma, either I would keep using something that is convenient and is scientifically proven to have a negative effect on mental health or I would take a journey, whose destination was unclear. After 1 month of time that flew by, I now wonder how I even managed in an online world where the loudest, often most offensive voices are heard first, and has impacted mental health.
It did take years of management and I never used a phone or social media much to begin with. I also have a pretty strong meditation routine which will be getting more and more consistent throughout my life.
I am starting to build a group of friends outside of social media, and things are looking promising. It is much harder and I was forced to be able to talk to people in person as otherwise I would just be alone. I have also learned to be comfortable alone, and further I am happy with who I am, as I am.
I fear that people may bring each other down. But I look forward to learn to love or tough love people. The wider community is more important then my one life, and as long as I genuinely help other people, my life can be considered a success.
Thank you for reading.