I use social media in all the unhealthy ways. I waste time just idly scrolling. I mildly stalk people. It’s usually just a one-time thing, like “Will I find that friend I made in camp back in 1989 here?” and if I do, I snoop all I can before I remember that I actually have essential stuff to do. I also take time to craft political posts that barely anybody reads.
That’s on Facebook. On Instagram, I usually post about books and cats (I have an account for each), but I’ve kind of lost my way of late. In my bid to reach 10k followers (the point where you can monetize your account), I’ve been joining follow trains, and it’s both stressful and risky. Instagram is trigger-happy about penalizing whom their bots think are doing fraudulent engagement. Many innocents have been caught in the crosshairs.
I resisted Tiktok for a long time only to open an account one day for the heck of it. Now, I spend more minutes than I should watching reels on a variety of topics I normally don’t pay any attention to. There are also the filters. My youngest and I have a lot of fun wasting time on them.
I’m incredibly entertained by social media. That’s why I have to make the conscious choice to wrest myself (and my family!) away from them. I prefer to be the kind of person who doesn’t feel lost without my phone. I want to be that individual who’s so busy with actual wholesome and fulfilling activities, I can’t find the time to go online. Like if you asked me what I was doing earlier, I’d love to be able to say, “Shinrin-yoku,” which means forest bathing. Chances are, I was just on Instagram alternately laughing at people’s mishaps and crying over shelter animals waiting to be adopted.
I should make a conscious effort to be able to reply “foraging for mushrooms, wildcrafting, birdwatching, stargazing, etc.” Of course, it would also be totally fine to post about them on social media; otherwise, it’s like it never happened. I’m kidding. 🙂
This Small Life 
Your social media experience paints a relatable (and humorous!) picture of the addictive pull of these platforms. It sounds like the incessant scrolling, stalking, and diving down rabbit holes can consume hours of your day before you know it. Your words are a testament to how easy it is for social media to be both a source of entertainment and a time-sink.
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I couldn’t think of a way to say it without sounding judgmental, but social sites are absolutely insidious. 😀
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