Dark Vixen

This post presumes you already have a firm understanding of why you should cut ties with social media. If you aren’t there yet, you probably don’t need to read on. But perhaps you’d be interested in the following articles on happiness, avoiding depression, etc.

If you already know that social media is making you miserable and you’re just trying to find a way to escape then read on and follow this 5 step plan.

1. Tell your real friends your intentions. It’s crazy, but people might think you are unfriending them if you shut down your accounts. Do it in a non-judgmental fashion. “I just gotta lay low for a while.”  “I’m spending too much time staring at my phone.” Keep it simple, you don’t need to tell them that social media has become a leading cause of depression. They might not want to hear it, and that’s fine.

***Whatever you do, don’t pull one of those bullshit things where you post on social media that you are leaving social media.  People will just think you’re fishing for attention. Because you probably are just fishing for attention.***

2. Turn that shit off.

3. Make a list of what you’ll be missing.

You probably use social media for a number of reasons. Your original reason like connecting with old classmates that you haven’t seen in years was probably replaced by things like:

• Spying on ex GF’s, BF’s, your kids, spouses, lovers.
• Reading news (i.e. watching John Oliver clips)
  
• Reading fake news
  
• Collecting likes. And spending meaningful events in your life (like vacations, weddings, births) thinking about how to frame that moment on Instagram or Facebook and what you’ll say.
  
• Looking at things you could buy.
  
• Getting invited to events that you don’t want to go to, but… FOMO.
  
• Looking at pictures from events that you missed that make them look way more fun than they actually were.
  
• Taking 5 minute breaks from work.
  

4. Figure out healthy ways to replace what you’re missing.

• Email an old friend that you haven’t connected with in a while.
  
• Spend meaningful life events being present and undistracted by technology. Maybe just bring a camera or nothing to the beach or Disney World for one day to see how it goes.
  
• Actually watch the concert or game you have attended. Especially if your friends or children are participating.
• Stay informed on things you care about by subscribing to RSS feeds on a tool like The Old Reader! There’s almost infinite amazing content on every topic you can imagine. But you’re probably missing most of it while obsessing over random crap on Facebook.
  
• Go for a 5 minute walk outside. Even if the weather stinks. Walks in the rain can be pretty awesome.
  
• Meditate for 5 minutes. Just focus on breathing and clearing your head. No iPhone app or expertise required.
  

5. You’re free! Just because social media is a growth area and a new technology doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. I mean, seriously, your parents are watching you again! You’d finally broken free and moved to a different state. And now they know about everything you do.

So FCC chairman Ajit Pai has announced a plan to roll back net neutrality rules called “Restoring Internet Freedom.” I think we all know that this isn’t about freedom in the sense of allowing people to access the internet freely. Or viewing or creating whatever content they please free from tracking or throttling. It’s not about personal freedom at all.  

Ajit Pai (formerly of Verizon) being sworn in by outgoing FCC Chairman Genachowski (before taking a job at the Carlyle Group)

What it’s about is the freedom of network providers to do whatever the heck they want. That may FEEL like personal freedom to Pai since he worked for Verizon prior to taking on this role with the FCC. But for the 7 billion people on Earth who benefit from net neutrality (real internet freedom), this is a huge step in the wrong direction.

Will this be the death of internet innovation? When’s the last time a billionaire did something innovative? Uncovering tax loopholes doesn’t count! Can we reasonably look to Verizon to fix the many issues that we’re seeing on the web today? As Google/Youtube fess up to how messed up their content has become and vow to fix it, do you really believe that they can or will? What about Facebook and their complete incompetence during the last election? Will billionaires fix those problems?

I’m betting on the coder sitting in her apartment dreaming up a better way to serve age appropriate videos to kids. I’m betting on groups of computer science undergrads brainstorming an open protocol for social networking. But will Verizon and the rapidly consolidating group of internet network behemoths allow those ideas to thrive on THEIR internet? If not, we’ll be talking “Restoring Internet Freedom” in earnest.