How long do you spend on Facebook each day? How much time are you on Twitter? Biz Stone, one of Twitter’s founders, said he doesn’t think it’s healthy for people to be on Twitter for hours each day.
Yet many of us are on social media for hours every day. My job is in social media, so I am on Twitter, Facebook and so much more every day for hours at a time. And then I use social media in my down time to connect with my friends, network with other professionals and have fun, interesting debates about things in which I am interested. Although my off-work social networking time can be much less than during work hours. I need a break, obviously.
But how do you get that break from being wired to the rest of the world? How do we de-digitize our lives for a few hours to get some rest and relaxation? It’s incredibly hard in today’s world when everyone has cell phones with e-mail, the Internet, text messaging, social media and more. Is it possible to disconnect?
I had a laugh with myself last Thanksgiving weekend. I was in the middle of the woods at Sleeping Giant State Park yet I could tweet, post photos on Flickr and receive phone calls and texts from my friends. I was getting away for a little while to relax, hike, take some photos, yet I was still connected.
I do have two places I try to always be disconnected. One is church. My phone may be in my purse and it’s on vibrate, but it stays in my purse the entire time I’m in the building. I want to focus on myself and my relationship with God while I’m in church. The other is the gym. I have brought my phone into the gym to listen to music stored on it, but I refuse to respond to texts, check email or anything else when I’m supposed to be focusing on my workout.
But where else? There have been times when I say “OK, today I’m not going to do any social media.” There have been times I’ve been successful. Other times I have not for a variety of reasons.
But it’s a continued struggle to find the right balance between the wired life and getting away from it all.
Have you found the right balance or are you struggling to find it too? Post about it in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I struggle with this like you wouldn’t believe, Jen, and most of it is because as a writer, this is how I get my stuff out there while staying connected with other writers. But it’s also, for me, very social–it’s how, like you, I hook up with my friends and have fun. I find that I’m on the computer eight hours a day — then come home and spend four to five hours more. I’m thinking about having one day a week in which I just disconnect from everything. And that’s difficult — especially, even when travelling, I can check my Inbox on my phone. I remember the days when e-mail was a novelty and I spent most of my “writing” time writing and reading with no computer in front of me. Now I feel like I’m chained to it.
Reblogged this on Kristi Petersen Schoonover and commented:
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I find “disconnecting” a constant struggle. It was nice to see that I’m not alone. And in a way, for me, this article is a call to action: I have to find a way to not be so wired. Even if it’s one day a week in which I don’t connect at all. How about you? Are you all wired up 24/7, like me? Does it bother you? If it does and you want to change it, how would you go about it?
Kristi (or Kaye or whatever lol):
When I travel, I find the same allure. I can check everything via e-mail too. I make promises not to be on social media or whatever and then…there I am. Sometimes there are other reasons for that, though. Or sometimes I just limit myself…Only Facebook, no Twitter. And it’s even harder when you can easily take a photo from your phone and send it over to Flickr. Of course you want to share that with all your networks, right? haha
I did go a whole Saturday recently where I checked in to read social media, but I didn’t actually post anything.