A week ago, I decided to give up social media for 50 days.
A few days ago, I read an article about a writer talking about how he lived without Facebook and Twitter for 2 weeks. (The thing that hit me was how he mentioned “Lived…without”–Implying that social media has become something vital to our lives. For many, it has. The other thing that hit me: that simply going two weeks without social media is an act considered worthy of an article…it really shows just how much we rely on certain sites.)
There’s a link in that article to another article about how obsessed people are with their smart phones. My favorite quote from that article:
“People don’t like thinking hard,” says Clifford Nass, a professor of communication and computer science at Stanford University. Constantly consulting your smartphone, he says, “is an attempt to not have to think hard, but feel like you’re doing something.”
As a writer, I still think hard about things, but I must admit: I don’t do it as often as I once did because I have Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other things with me at all times. At the very least, social media does give me a feeling like I’m doing something, when many times–I’m really just wasting time.
That’s what I’ve noticed so far: just how much time social media can waste.
It’s Not without its Benefits
I’m not about to do a 180 and say social media is bad. I know people who make a very decent living because of social media. I miss the publishing news and other things that came my way because of the way I’ve set up Twitter and Google+. And I miss some of the conversations I have on most days about writing, publishing, and other interests.
But I’ve also come to see how much time I lose each day that can be better spent on other things.
For me, it’s not that social media is a waste of time…it’s just that being forced to look at my habits last week that I came to realize I had some priorities out of order.
First Thing each Day
My mornings used to go something like this. I’d wake up (usually before the alarm clock) and instantly think about the writing I’d do soon. I lied in bed thinking about writing first thing every day–and then I’d get up, go to my office, and start writing. The words flowed from the start because I began the day relaxed and plotting out where a particular story or article was going to go before rising.
Lately, I wake up and still think about writing, but that momentum is interrupted when I finally decide to get moving. That’s when I reach over to the nightstand, put on my glasses, and check my iPhone. I check email and then start the first sweep through social media sites.
There’s a certain physical satisfaction in seeing what’s going on “out there” in the world; what your friends are up to…things like that. And when I sit down at my desk, instead of going straight to writing, I often do another sweep of some sites and check my blog reader. Sure, when I’m done with that, I go straight to writing and know where I’m going, but the act isn’t as satisfying with that interruption from social media.
Last Week
Last week, old habits returned. I woke up and had nothing to do but write. No sites to check, and while I could read blog feeds when I sit down at my desk, the way things used to be has returned. I have the discipline, again, to not check email or blogs until I’ve written. I go from waking to rising to writing; that’s always worked best for me.
Then I check email and blogs–and even that no longer takes up much time. With the exception of some family and other writers, I don’t get much email since most of my friends communicate almost exclusively through Facebook and Twitter. I cut way back on blogs I read, so even in the morning or after work, there are only a handful of things that matter most to me to read–not hundreds of things I’ve added just to give myself something new to always see when I do a social media/blog sweep.
Is it Worth My Time?
Another thing I used to do more often came back last week: I found myself looking at things and asking if they were really worth my time.
I don’t watch much episodic television, but even documentaries and other one-shot things on TV that I like…I didn’t watch quite as much. I started watching Mad Men right before taking the break and decided, “Ya know, it’s well done enough and all, but I would rather spend my time writing or doing other things.”
I read more, and spend even more time just sitting and thinking, or clearing my mind and relaxing. I’m even more calm than usual, and I’m generally pretty laid back.
One of the articles linked above mentions that people in a cell phone use study checked their phones an average of 34 times a day. All those quick checks are deceptive and add up throughout the day. Even if each sweep averages just a couple minutes, right there’s an hour of writing time many people say they don’t have.
34 times a day?! What are they expecting to find?
Anyway, glad to read you are benefitting from your time off SM.
I am happy to report I feel calmer since leaving Twitter. I did enjoy the time I spent on it, and it served a good purpose, but I’ve moved on.
I believe aspiring authors specifically are pressured into spending too much time on social media. I also believe social media is mostly “noise.” The more people you “follow” (as the social media mavens recommend) the more “noise” you get. And the nonsense about “following” somebody, and then surreptitiously putting them in an “ignore” category- that’s just sad. I’d rather be authentic. If I acknowledge you, it means I’m actually interested in what you have to say. Given the amount of people in the world, I’m going to be honest and admit most people don’t interest me. No pretense.
CMS,
The interesting thing about aspiring authors being pressured into spending too much time on social media…it really seems to come from other authors and “social media experts.” Agents I’ve talked with said it’s always nice when an author has a presence online, but that they’d rather have them write the best book they can write. Granted, if you write non-fiction, social media is important, but most agents I’ve chatted with and read interviews with said it’s not a big deal if you’re not always online.
One of the funnier things was when I was at the Writer’s League of Texas Agent’s Conference in 2010. I was in a panel discussion with agents talking about how they view an author’s online presence somewhere down the line on their list of things they look for. Meanwhile, another panel was going on about “How to Build your Platform.” Writers I spoke with who attended that panel discussion went on and on about how VITAL their platform is. The panel discussion was given by a guy who makes a big part of his living as a social media consultant. When they heard that the agents I saw–many of whom were the agents those writers came to pitch things to–didn’t really care about how much an author messes with social media, they seemed shocked.
It seemed so obvious to me that the panel to see at that time was the panel with the agents. There were things I picked up on in the panel that helped me with my pitch because I knew what the agent I was scheduled to chat with was looking for in a pitch and story. To have skipped that for a panel about social media…I just don’t get that. (Other than what you said about many writers being conditioned to believe it’s all about their Twitter following–not writing a brilliant book and being a little more patient along the way.)
I’ll follow people if they’re a writer, but I don’t follow back nearly the amount of people as I once did. While I filter things so I make sure I never miss the things I want to see most, I DO go through the big feed just to see what’s up on occasion. But I definitely don’t feel obligated to follow people back just for the sake of returning the action. Because you’re right about the noise. The sense of calm from just a week away from social media…it’s been nice.
I think I could become one of those writers who tests the agents who say one’s online presence really doesn’t matter. Because I really don’t miss the constant barrage of information and the effect it has on what I write.
I agree with the part about people not wanting to think too hard. That’s why things like religion are so successful; the pre-package everything you ever need to think: what to support, whom to hate, how to spend your money.
Paul,
Stepping away from social media’s really hit me just how much it slowly creeped in for me. I’ve always spent a lot of time thinking. When I drive, sometimes I listen to music, but one other interesting thing I’ve noticed since paying more attention to social media: I tend to not listen to anything while driving because it became the place where I had the most time to think.
There’s definitely truth to not thinking leading to letting others do the thinking for you. Kind of like social media, I took a break from the news years ago. And when our TV died and we went over a year without TV, it was amazing just how much quieter the world seemed for me. There was nobody telling me what to buy, and I wasn’t filling my time with something easier than writing.
I like social media, but the longer I take this break, the more I wonder what it will be like when I return to it. And part of it is what you discuss: sort of the prepackaged thought stuff. Even those with whom I agree politically, it’s an onslaught of “Sign this petition!/Do this and that!” and other things. It’s seeing people say things that make me scratch my head and have that instant reaction to reply with a differing side. But that’s time I could be writing or hanging out with my wife chatting on the couch with no TV on; no interference from email or anything.
It’s so much more soothing than the noise of it all.