I didn’t mean it! Come back! It can’t be over, surely?
Oh fiddlesticks – this relationship with social media is worse to maintain than a marriage.
I woke this morning following a few hours of undisturbed me-ness (it exists in my dictionary) and ready to face the day’s challenges; namely another batch of clients rugs, a bomb site house, and Martha and her journey still needing to have the pause button released from the scene I wrote in London last Thursday when she returns to England and catches up with her father – who appears to be developing a friendship with cake-making Cheryl – nudge nudge wink wink.
But what do I do when I come down? Pick up phone and update myself with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WordPress.
I’ve been up an hour and been sat on my arse for that hour. The only things working hard are my thumbs. I’ve got to take a plunge – I can feel it brewing.
Placing the apps all in their own ‘folder’ was one idea I had, hoping the recognisable squares were so small I wouldn’t be able to see them. It didn’t work – I knew the buggers were there!
Even The Telegraph today is talking about FB having been designed to be addictive…. great π no wonder none of my tricks are working; thanks guys.
Man of the Woods suggested ‘Just don’t look at them until you’re ready?’ when I last bemoaned my time management. It does not appear to work like that. The nearest compromise I did make was turning the enticing red dots off which tells you how many new notifications you have on each one. (I didn’t need to explain this really because you’re as addicted to them as I, yes?!).
This worked quite well. For about 37 minutes.
I was able to saunter past the mini computer dumped on the desk while I went about my business, but then a niggle started in the pit of my stomach – what if I’m missing something quite important – and I touched the apps, and sure enough had missed LOADS of …. stuff I can actually survive without for a few hours π.
So now I’m breathing deeply as I prepare myself for an experiment.
DELETING THE APPS FOR A WEEK FROM MY PHONE π±π±π±(can we try a day first maybe?)
WordPress is the one platform I shall keep because I need a place to come sit and waffle, so you ain’t lost me yet!
But my aim these next few days is to not only write to 20,000 words but to have edited those and polished them as best I can so I can send them to the New Writer’s Scheme readers at the RNA. This story deserves a chance, and it won’t grow if I don’t nurture it.πΈ
Forsake Facebook for a few minutes. Immediate family Facebook at the most, it can work.
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If your willpower is intact, perhaps!!
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I use very little social media these days, l do only use WP as my main social platform, and Twitter and Facebook only to promote “Scrappy’s new posts and features”, l don’t miss them, l walked away from Twitter a few months ago and simply don’t miss all the drama llama ding dongs that were ongoing. I had 6000 followers and simply thought ‘Fuck it, fuck them, gone!”
Scrappy has around 800 followers and most of those are dogs or cats, or pet related followers so am not too worried about doing any more than the posting style l do. I simply have no more time to bugger about with being social.
But l think that also comes down to how social we all actually are to begin with – l am and proud to say ‘selectively social’, meaning when l wish to be social l will be and that isn’t often.
Yet here, l am very social, but it is easier here to be more social in and at a more relaxed speed. Being too social is as you quite rightly say, more of a committment than a full time relationship. However if any consolation, once you break free of the addiction, you are indeed free!
Good luck with the 20k words! π
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Thank you so much for taking the time to respond with such valuable advice … Iβm already feeling better! As I pop onto here, or read emails or texts from genuine clients from my day to day business, those damned squares are simply not there to tempt me ππΌ
Breathe of fresh air π«
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Have a truly lovely day π
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Good Luck with all your efforts to wean off (even if temporarily) your addiction to FB (and all the other media), Viola π
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You’re on a roll, you can do it! Happy uninterrupted concentration π
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My sentiments exactly! It’s an addictive brain drain for a writer.
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So right…
You know when your battery has died and you have an enforced break of perhaps 2 or 3 hours? Do you feel strangely released? I do!!!!
(By the way, since I published this post, Iβve deleted three apps – FB, Insta and Twitter – and my heart is still beating and Iβve filled the dishwasher, wiped all the surfaces and washed the kitchen floor πͺπΌπͺπΌπͺπΌπͺπΌππΌπ
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Itβs such a time suck. Iβd have so much more writing done if I didnβt HAVE to check social media every twenty minutes. They really do make it addictive. Good luck with your break.
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Thank you ..
I honestly think for someone who needs the doorway, such as an author promoting their book, then ALL platforms are essential.
But for now, for me, I need to get the thing written!!!!! π
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Ha…let us know how u get on !
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Can I have that word in the title? I was worried for a minute the powers that be would not release the post … but then you liked it so I guess they let it pass π
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Oh you can put anything that you like on wp π
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So I noticed (I went searching for titles with the F word in them and a billion came up ππͺπΌ)
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Oh its a fuck fest out there most certainly
Now get back to your 20000
π
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ππΌπ
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