4 Tips to Avoid Social Media Distractions

Social media is the devil, Bobby! What started out as an innocent, albeit money making, idea is now the ruler of our lives and thoughts. When don't we swipe open our pocket computers and immediately go to Facebook or Instagram? What is so important that we have to swipe and scroll so frigging much? 

The answer, nothing.

Opening social media is almost instinctual and that is sad. I mean, I get it, for some of us we have to use it to market ourselves because everyone is on there and that is where they learn about new things.

Social media, however, serves as a distraction from doing real work like research and writing. It is an easy rabbit hole to dive down and makes for an excellent procrastination platform. I have talked about procrastination before in a previous post. I still don't care about the pictures you took of the shitty food you cooked. Good job, you passed Home-Ec and can make an omelet. Woopdee friggin do!

I always get lost in my rants...Well, here are some actual tips for avoiding the Devil that is Social Media when you pop onto your digital writing platform.

Shut down the notifications!

Shut them off, they are a distraction. The feeling of missing out that social media notifications give you is annoying and miserable. You feel like life is passing you by, even though it probably isn't, when you get a notification and see your friend feet in the sand at some beach.

What you don't know, and social media won't tell you, is that your friend is in Mexico suffering from dysentery. 

Turn them off and keep them off. Otherwise, while you are writing or editing you may get constantly distracted by trivial nonsense. 

Call or visit your friends and family.

I know, what an abstract concept. Actually, calling someone and talking to them using your mouth words. Heavens forbid you meet in person. Covid be damned. 

Personal conversations are much more fulfilling, and miscommunications are limited because of tone or body language. Not to mention the fact that you could talk about your writing project, float ideas and get feedback and criticism. It is less severe than reading words without knowing the critic's tone.

You might be less pissed off because of it.  

Block the Websites and Delete the Apps

If the temptation to mindlessly scroll through your feed overwhelms you, but you pick up your phone or tablet and cannot access the sites or apps. what do you do? 

Do you go through the trouble of digging into your web settings and attempt to figure out how to unblock Facebook? Do you re-download the app?

Maybe you are super addicted and go through the trouble, but I know I wouldn't. The inaccessibility would remind me of why I rid myself of social media in the first place.

Think of it like a food craving when you are dieting. All week you have been resisting going to Popeyes and jamming a 700 calorie sammich down your gullet, but the urge is so bad on Friday night. You think about it, except that would mean putting clothes on and driving through shit traffic to get there. Then you would have to spend money too. 

Your thoughts trail off and change. 

No Popeyes.

The same goes for social media. You will distract yourself from it with much more worthwhile tasks. It's sort of like reverse psychology. 

The Ultimate Solution

Delete all your social media accounts. Bam! Gone! 

You cannot be distracted by them if they don't exist.

I realize this can be hard for you, especially if you are published and are trying to sell your brand. Yes, you practically need the web presence to make the mullah. However, if you are a first-time author and have nothing published officially, then you may not need the accounts just yet.

It may be good to have a plan to market and sell via social media, but you don't need to create the account just yet. 

We have survived for tens of thousands of years without social media. I think we can all survive a few hours without it each day, so tell Zuckerberg to go suck an egg!

Remember my post:

Untethered

Phone laying prone

on the stone

Fear drawing near

reaching that is dear

Broken screen has spoken

tech is only a token

Dare to fly bare

Without a care

Free from thee