UPDATE: Social Media Challenge

Hey guys! It has officially been 24 hours since I posted the "Social Media Challenge" yesterday and was determined to steer clear of things like Facebook and Instagram. Well, I am back this morning with a full update on my experience, my failures, my achievements and overall what I learned.

After publishing my post yesterday, I felt extremely enthusiastic and determined. I was hopeful. To be honest, I was overconfident. Then...it happened. Only two minutes after the challenge had begun, I opened my phone, swiped through my apps and opened Instagram. The scary part was that I did not even think about what I was doing, nor did I want to even check Instagram.

 It happened like clockwork.

It was automatic. My fingers seemed to move on their own and my mind seemed to shut off. 

Okay, okay. That may be a bit dramatic. But in all seriousness, it was a real wake-up call. That was the moment I knew that social media was affecting my life in a negative way. Now, I was really determined to finish the challenge and succeed. Honestly, it was tough. Throughout the day I would find myself wanting to check Facebook or Twitter, especially whenever I was in an awkward or boring situation. After the fourth hour, it got easier. My need for these social networking sites slowly decreased. And, by the end of the challenge, I had almost forgotten about them.

What I Learned: 

1. Social media/social networking can be an addiction. Personally, I wouldn't say that I am addicted to social media. Although they do say that denial is the first sign of an addict. (This is where you laugh.)

2. Without social media, I am able to live more in the moment and am more aware of the situation I am in. 

3. Social media can be positive in smaller doses. It's all about balance and priorities. 

And, there you have it. Those 24 hours were tough. But, they were also an amazing learning experience. The biggest lesson I learned, as I pointed out before, is balance. Life really is all about balance. Too much of anything is a bad thing, in my opinion. And this includes social media. If you joined me in this challenge, congrats! Whether you "failed" or "succeeded," as long as you learned something about yourself, then you won. :) So, put away the phone, laptop or whatever you use to connect to the online world once in a while and remember how amazing the real world can be when you give it a chance. 

That's all for now.

-m