Unfriended. Unfollowed. Unsubscribed. These are words we are familiar with. When it happens to us, it brings out a response that varies from person to person. But today, I want to talk about what happens when it’s YOU that needs to be the unfriender, the unfollower, the unsubscriber.
It’s undeniable that today is all about social media in one way or another. We are bombarded daily, hourly even, with what we see on our phones, iPads or computers. Much of it is good, some of it is bad, and some of it is in between. We catch up on our news, our friends, and life by opening up an app or receiving a banner update on our phones. While this is very convenient and time saving, it is also easy to become besieged with undesirable projected junk that we could have well done without.
This hit home for me as this last year I was “friends” with someone on FB who I felt I “should” be friends with. I wasn’t actually friends with them in that we never hung out aside from occasional gatherings we would both attend, but there was a reason I felt I had to keep them on my friend’s list. After about half a year of seeing the things they were posting, I realized I needed to be my own life preserver and let them go. It wasn’t even that the things they were posting were bad in the traditional way you think of, it was more of the effect it was having on me personally and the things or people I held dear. In other words, it was doing more harm than good.
I took the opportunity to look at my Instagram feed as well and decided that if I’m going to come face to face with a barrage of information, it may as well be as positive as possible because the daily news is terrifying enough. So, I started cleaning up my Instagram feed and letting go of some of the things I was seeing and replacing them with people who had inspirational things to say or contribute. I also created a second Twitter account so that I had one for politics, and one for positive things in life. Lol... the world of Twitter politics is a whole war zone in of itself in case you didn’t know. Yikes!
Some people may say I’m choosing to live in a bubble by conducting my social media life this way. Well, perhaps they are right in a sense. However, I know what my limits are, and I know what needs to happen in my life in order to have a productive day. I also know what things can and will cause me to have a day where I feel defeated or unthankful or out of sorts entirely.
My friends, do not feel bad when you need to wash away the things that are bringing about negative internal responses in your life. This is your mind’s way of sending you a direct message. Listen to it. I’m telling you, social media is a piranha masquerading as a blue icon with an F on it. I know for me personally, it’s tough to see people posting hatred, or untruths. It’s hard seeing people posting shock photos or news headlines designed to rile up the masses. I don’t really want to know what’s going on in your relationship and what a ho’ so and so is and how your bf is a liar or how your ex better watch it or how this person or that person needs to watch out or you’re going to run them over... whatever all that nonsense is, I just don’t want to know. Look, I used to have crazy going on in my life and I’m sorry if I ever subjected you to it. Like, I’m truly sorry. I hope you unfriended me or unfollowed me or whatever if I did. No one actually has become a better human for having immersed themselves in “shock news.” SMDH.
You know what? It’s ok to do what you need to in order to get through your day. Some days will be better than others, some days you’ll feel stronger than others, and there will be those days where you want to unfollow just about everyone. Just put down the phone and maybe pick up a book. That’s what I do, or else I’ll turn on the TV and watch something that makes me laugh and escape for a while. I love to cook so that’s another thing I will do to just get away from the buzz. A nice hot, relaxing shower helps... while you’re in there, don’t forget: Lather, Rinse. Repeat if necessary. You’ll feel brand new when you step out.