03/01/2022
Do you remember what your life was like before social media?
This morning I had a dream where I very clearly saw how Facebook and the entities behind it (Mark Zuckerberg) were literally sucking the life/energy out of people. As many of us know, social media is addictive and needs to be limited. I always thought that it was a 'medium', in that yes it's got a dark side but it's also a platform for all voices to be heard. So if you apply discernment and use it consciously, it can be an asset in your life.
However - after receiving this insight, I'm inclined to throw caution to the wind and shut down all my social accounts, at least for a one month experiment! As a small business owner, we are brainwashed into believing that we 'must' have a social media presence, so people can find us.
Whilst that's definitely true, especially if you want your product or service to be found outside of your local area/city... I can't help but think that this is another form of control.
Businesses have existed for thousands of years, without the internet and social media.
I know when I first started my business, most of my clients came via word of mouth. Since hiring a Virtual Assistant to ramp up social media marketing, in the last 6 months, surprisingly it did NOT result in an increase in new clients. In fact, the opposite happened!
So now, I am going to experiment with going 100% the other way - NO SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING. I'm going to unplug, stay connected to myself and see what happens...
What do other people think about this for themselves?
Do you feel trapped and reliant on social media, either for business purposes or connection with others?
The other insight I had, was that when we have such an active 'social' life online, we believe that we are connected. However, do you also feel lonely? For me, I have realised that social media online connections (with people I am friends with in real life), has meant that I have reduced my actual real life catch ups. I slowly slid into this false sense of connection that came from being active with Messenger and Whatsapp groups then wondered why I felt lonely.
My hope is that if I cut off all online social media connections, and my true friends only contact me via text, phone or email, then not only will I nurture more meaningful connections, but I will also be inclined to organise ACTUAL catch ups... coffee, lunch, movies, drinks, BBQ's, whatever.
Curious to hear if anyone else can relate? Has anyone else tried social media breaks and if so, what did you find?