How My 30 Days Social Media Detox Changed Me

YES! I did it! Lol! Alright, on the 23 of June, I decided to go on a 30 days Social Media Detox.

First of all, I believe there are three types of social media users; the compulsive posters, the curious checkers and the stalkers. Over the last few months, I found myself heading towards the "curious checkers" ladder, I spent about 5hours straight on facebook. And that's when I decided to break off for a bit and see if I would survive..,and I did survive lol!

I have been a blogger for over a year and half and that has been my excuse for spending too much time on social media networks. I generate some income from my blogs and for me to see a penny, I need traffic and to drive traffic to my blogs, I need the social media networks. Therefore, I am on about twelve social media networks and very active on six of them. I am on google+, instagram, pinterest, Youtube, facebook, bloglovin, twitter, Linkedin, blogup, stumbleupon just to mention a few.

I was off on all my social media networks but I had left whatsapp (its cheaper than calling than sending an sms to someone) and offcourse my emails were still on. I had also left my Facebook Page Manager App for updates on my facebook pages once in a while. The first few days were hard, I found myself grabbing my phone from time to time wanting to check what was going on with people or if I have any new likes for my posts etc.

After a 3 days, I was getting frustrated and I decided to snap out of it completely by unistalling the social media apps on my phone and start focusing on my writing. (I am writing my first book), I wrote about 5,000 words in just two days! That was great, and it felt really good. I got Richard Branson's "SCREW IT, LETS DO IT" book and I read it and finished it in 3 days, it was a great book to read in the first few days of a 30days challenge ;-) . I also read the first Ten books of the bible Genesis to 2 Samuel, that was amazing and I learnt lots of things from the bible and I got some understanding of God, humanity and the children of Israel.

After a week, I got used to the idea of being invisible to the cyber world and life continued. I became occupied with important things in my life e.g my relationship with God, writing my book and it was also the time that my permit came out. I became extremely busy with my preparations for relocating to Denmark (where I am now living....moved here almost two weeks ago). In the 3rd week of my 30 days, I travelled to Chozi in the North of Zambia to visit my family.

The 30 days went by pretty fast. And looking back in those 30 days, I had done so much and I accomplished a little more than I would if I had my phone in my hands 80% of the day. In those 30 days, I became focused on what was really important in my life. And trust me, I realised that I didn't miss much in the time I was away and I am planning to do it again ;-) .

...The social media networks were created to make our lives easier and communication with friends and family much easy and fun. They are also good for business. But I feel like sometimes, we forget whats real and whats not. I would give an example of the famous facebook, all the time you log in....you see posts of happy people having a fabulous time.., I know one friend on facebook who updates her status maybe ten times a day...! from what she eats for breakfast, what her daughter did after breakfast, were she will go later etc.. its like she is living her life online. and there are thousands of people who are living like that. I also know someone who showcase her life on facebook as a fabulous diva or what Kimora Lee Simmons would call "Life In The Fab Lane" but yet she is so miserable in real life. I know it feels really good to get some LIKES for something that you have just posted, it gives you some kind of thrill....its true, come on, lets not pretend that we don't like it when people LIKE, COMMENT or SHARE our posts. This is were the compulsive posters come in..,for the thrill of it. And before you know it, you become addicted. Don't get confused with reality and what you see on these social media networks, especially you teens ;-) .

Honestly, I learnt so much about myself in those 30 days and I did lots of things. I will be taking it once again soon. You should try it, it will change you. ;-) . It will be hard at first but you will get through it.