A Facebook friend recently suffered an unspeakable family tragedy. Just as today’s news travels, news of that event was posted instantly, then rehashed and commented upon for days. Although I didn’t post any comments myself, I was drawn like a moth to flame to the online comments. Each poster professed “insight.” It became insidious, this “insight” offered. Then there was the one-upmanship played as commenters tried to establish themselves as owning superior knowledge regarding this tragic event.
Soon, as I scrolled and devoured, I began to feel something akin to voyeurism, peeking shamelessly into this family’s darkest nightmare and unspeakable grief. And, soon after, I began to feel something more profound: a deep sadness that our society has devolved into one in which every emotion and every action is fodder for the gristmill known as social media. I recognized that valuing privacy has been replaced by coveting notoriety as an admirable quality.
I took stock of my motivation for participating in social media platforms (keeping up with my grandkids’ activities, living vicariously through friend’s travels and adventures, researching what is “best” for my dog, knowing where/when my pickleball buddies were playing, and maintaining connections with distant friends and relatives). I was forced to acknowledge that my rationalization was failing miserably, ultimately admitting that I really didn’t need social media. In a moment of clarity, I closed my social media accounts and removed myself from the endless chatter and blather that I thought I needed.
According to a June 2024 article in Psychology Today, there are pros and cons of exiting the world of social media. Psychologists cited in the article state there are immediate benefits which include a newfound “sense of freedom” from constant monitoring. Further, they posit, mental health improves as anxiety and depression associated with online competition and comparison diminishes.
It’s been seven months, and I don’t miss social media at all! Instead of endless scrolling through misinformation, mean-spirited gossip and outright bullying, I FaceTime and talk more frequently with my children and grandchildren, our conversations closing the miles between us. I read more, including local online content that keeps me informed about what’s happening in my community. I personally connect with my friends through shared experiences. I sleep better and I feel more empowered and less at the mercy of forces beyond my control. Life free of social media is a full life for me.
LuAnn Winkle lives in Hilton Head, NC
