I Survived A Month And A Half Without Instagram What Do I Win

And Snapchat, too. 

As you may or may not have read in my last post, I gave up social media for lent 2017. And by “social media” I mean just Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, and by Facebook, I mean I just deleted the app on my phone, but I was still very much on it on the desktop devices (I couldn’t de-activate it because I need Ads Manager for work, etc.)

Giving up social media for 40 days probably isn’t a big deal for most people (as I type that out, I still refuse to believe it but okay), but for me, it’s a big deal. I work in social media, and as a millennial, I also live on it. So u kno wut, it was a big deal okay and I want a Nobel okay.

Here are my post-lent thoughts

Like a true Aries, I was my best in the beginning. I’m a starter, not a finisher, fam. Just ask the soap supplies in my closet #SoapMakingPhase.

Day 1 of Lent, I wrote out all of the reasons I wanted to give up social for lent and stay committed to it. I considered blogging that list here, but it’s kind of TMI for the Internet. But I will share that #1 on the list was this verse:  John 12:43 “For they loved human praise more than praise from God”.

wow john ouch woof ok john

It reminded me of myself and it was not a good feeling; and yet a very motivating reason to give up social.

As part of my early motivated phase, I would read a daily Lent plan on my Bible app and I did not look at my Facebook newsfeed (but yes, on desktop, I would check notifications lol). Also, Lane and I started reading Matthew, and I was good about praying/journaling and reading through that daily in the beginning.

THEN THE BEGINNING OF LENT FADED.

I was not as committed about reading the daily Lent plan. I eventually gave in to looking at the Facebook newsfeed. Matthew was prioritized to the last item of my day, and sometimes I didn’t make it that far. So while I did stay off IG and Snap, it wasn’t a perfect 40 day stint.

However, I did learn some things about myself.

I did not miss posting to social media.

Trust me when I say I was more shocked than anyone.

I was the person who would post daily on Snapchat, at least once or twice a week on Instagram, and at minimum every weekend on Facebook.

I be postin’, y’all.

What I realized was how much mental energy consumed me when I posted on social media. Honestly.

Here is my general posting-on-social-thought process:

• Should I take a photo to post
• Is this photo IG or FB worthy
• Ok what would my IG caption be, I don’t want it to be cheesey, but also not trying to hard, but also not scream “I’m from a small town”
• Is posting a photo of myself narcissistic do i care help
• Ok I’ve thought about this caption for way too long idc im just finna post now YOLO
• O wow it’s been 20 minutes and i have 3 likes ok wow what did i do for everyone to hate me
  • considers everything wrong i’ve done to people in the past 18 years
• Should I start liking other people’s photos bc like 4 like or is that thirsty
• F it im just gonna start spam liking
• I can’t believe I just liked that photo, that was really ignorant
• Ok I’m not looking at my phone for the next hour
• *5 minutes later*
• O wow only 2 more likes wow I don’t even like this girl who just liked my photo ok does this mean I have to like her photos now god I really hate Instagram
• *a day later*
• OH GOD DID WHO I THINK JUST LIKED THAT PHOTO LIKE THAT PHOTO?? OH GOD???????
• Ok I guess I’m comfortable with the number of likes, I guess I won’t commit suicide

Okay, so that was a VERY dramatized version of the thought process, but let’s be honest, not that dramatized okay. I’m also the psycho who, when someone likes the photo, depending on who it is, I will go back and look at my photo and try to see it through their eyes. ANYONE ELSE NOPE JUST ME IT’S FINE I’M FINE DOT COM?????

I cannot tell you how liberating it was to not post anything on social media. I was never in a state of worrying or being consumed by what so-and-so-who-just-liked-the-photo thought of me. Or if the caption was trying too hard. Or if posting a photo with Lane yet again was too much, too cheesey. Or if I, at all, was too ANYTHING.

Things I did during Lent that I normally would have posted on social media:

• My actual birthday. Happy 26th me.
• I saw Allan Rayman in concert (BLOG ON THAT LATER)
• I was on a float in the St. Patrick’s Day parade (wudup Desperadoe’s)
• I went camping for the first time — I WENT CAMPING YALL, LIKE I SLEPT IN AN EFFING TENT AND STUFF
• Work happy hours and cool general company things around the office
• My boyfriend is really cute and I always want to post his face, and I didn’t, and I want an award
• Insignificant nights out with friends etc

I posted none of it, guys. I’m sry, but can u imagine for one second with me, picture yourself looking very cute on a Friday night about with ur girlz, and NOT posting it on at least Snapchat??? Thank u and goodnight, what do I win.

LIKE I WENT OUT TO DINNER WITH MY FRIENDS FOR MY BIRTHDAY AND DID NOT RECORD THE MOMENT, HI, WHAT DO I WIN.

ok

It also made me question deeply why I ever posted on social media in the first place. Like, it was clearly causing me some extent of mild mental agony, why am I doing this to myself lololol. Lots of deep diving into the soul lolololololol.

I also posted the first day lent was over, so thanks 4 reading.

I did miss stalking following other people on social media

If you now me at all, you know I consider myself a local historian of Dallas fashion bloggers I follow Dallas fashion bloggers. I follow the bloggers, their boyfriends, husbands, sisters, and moms (I wish any of that was an exaggeration) on Snap and Insta, no qualms, no shame, sorry, I am just that girl, you post it, I follow it (this is rly another blog for another day).

So I will unwillingly admit that I missed knowing what my DFW bloggers were up to. Wow I am tragically embarrassed typing that out. Whoop, there it is.

I also missed seeing what my friends and family posted, etc., but yeah, I often found myself wondering what celebs and bloggers were posting. Kristin Cavallari was a surprising one for me. I literally found myself wondering omg Jay was fired from the Bears, what does Kristin think about all this, is she pregnant right now, what is she cooking tonight, what did she wear today, how are her children, omg. 

ok

So yeah. I missed creeping.

And I didn’t miss posting.

Those are my main takeaways.

What else.

Idk.

This blog was long.

THANKS FOR READING bye