You can’t “snap” me. I likely will not see your Tweet. I don’t actually check my Facebook. I don’t have a Foursquare account or Yelp or Beme or whatever the kids are into these days. These social media platforms don’t add value to my life. They don’t bring me joy. So I don’t use them regularly.

Minimizing my social media accounts and the amount of time I spend on the few I kept gave me a sense of calm and control. It was too overwhelming to try to keep up with everything and everyone.

In an effort to consume intentionally and cut out the things that don’t add value to my life, I have drastically reduced my use of social media.

Conscious Consumption

It is so easy to spend an hour scrolling through Pinterest, liking photos on Instagram, and stalking elementary school classmates on Facebook. But that’s not how I want to spend my time. I don’t want to mindlessly scroll because it keeps me from actually listening to my thoughts or attending to the task at hand.

Now when I check in I am conscious of the time I am spending and I am careful to not overstay my welcome. I give myself a general time limit, and as much as it was a struggle in the beginning, I try to only check my main accounts once a day. I went from scrolling Instagram every extra second I found to once in the evening (where I usually stay longer than intended, but I’m working on it).

Letting Go of Pressure

When I first started really examining my social media behavior, I felt a lot of pressure to be on platforms and be a social media maven. So many posts on news and career sites boast how great it is to have a massive following and chide you for not having thousands fall at your feet on social media.

The pressure was getting to be way too much. I was stressing myself out about something that wasn’t really going to make or break my life like these sites claimed. Of course more followers can help you look better in a job interview or widen your audience, but that doesn’t mean that you will be more fulfilled or that those followers will actually engage with you.

Less is Better

In keeping with my “less is better” belief, I decided to focus my efforts on the social media platforms that fit my needs and interests best. For the most part this means I’m on Instagram. Every once in a while I also check in or post on Twitter. Pinterest is a place I keep ideas and bookmarks, not somewhere I try to get followers. Facebook is a rarity – I posted once in the last year.

It took me a little while to admit that this is the life I want. I don’t want to be tied to my phone or the Internet. I like enjoying my day in RL. I am happier without it.