Social Media Cleanse 102: The Purge
With the launch of my baby blog, I had to do quite a bit of research and a lot of it entailed keeping up with other bloggers and their blogs as well as social media influencers. Insert social media. Even after removing myself from IG, Facebook, & Snapchat for a while I had to get back on these different platforms for everything from advice to a little bit of networking. While I love me some good ol scrolling, I had to adjust my pages to my liking a little bit more.
For me that meant doing a purge. The idea here is to use social media for all it has to offer. My feeds should be conducive to my goals, likes, and wants. If used correctly, social media can definitely be a resource and a source of income!
Let's be real, we spend a substantial amount of time scrolling through our feeds. We see so many people and read so much information. As we do this, we are receiving the energy of these different posts. Everything from feeling down because someone POSTS a better life than yours to feeling happy due to a post that deems your life as cool. I emphasize posts due to the face that posting is choosing what is put out there. I've said this before, social media is a highlight reel. Very seldom will an athlete send off their bad games when they didn't do well or maybe their attitude sucked. You'll find the same on social media, when do we really see someone post themselves looking regular as hell or having a bad day? Well besides your annoying cousin who posts a play by play of his or her latest breakup, you just don't see it that often. Struggle is never trending.
To make sure my emotions were in check while being on social media, I had to start cutting people left and right. So that meant on Facebook, I became "silent friends" with a lot of family and friends. Especially the ones that still post "like this post & you'll be blessed tomorrow". Here's the thing, I'm blessed whether I like that post or not. SCRAM. On Snapchat, I removed and or blocked those who make me produce the strongest eye rolls of all time. As for Instagram, I needed to tailor who I followed to those that I look up to while also keeping those who I constantly connect with. This allows for my feeds to be less annoying and more inspiring. I now follow a variety of my role models on more than one platform to ensure I'm constantly not only learning but being inspired. It also meant checking myself. I had to un-follow people who I'm not genuinely happy for. That was the realest I've had to be with myself in a while. Being honest with yourself about where you are at in life is key. Right now, I can't be happy for some folks and there's nothing more to it.
Check out some tips below!
Pick one "gossip" page. Do not get sucked into hours and hours of reading the latest and greatest of celebrities lives. You literally do not have the time. And if you do, let's talk about getting you a job. Pick one that can allow you to stay updated on the latest tea but continues to bring a positive light in some way. My fave is The Shaderoom. The bloggers there do a great job of balancing gossip with real news and they even throw in some positivity!
Whatever your field of interest, there are others that are mastering that field as we speak. FOLLOW THEM! A lot of people share tips, advice and the ins-&-outs of the business or field that you are interested in. Sometimes they share them in a time sensitive format (Snapchat/IG stories) and you want to be absorbent of it all! You never know what connection you may make with those who have come before you. A simple follow and being interactive on someones page can sometimes lead to a networking opportunity. Follow people who are like minded. If you're into the art of twerking then follow the best twerkers. Photography? Find some photographers with the same style. Lettering? Follow some dope artists who are killing it. ETC.
Unfollow any one who makes you feel less than. Sure, you're going to follow people who are a little bit ahead of you and it seems like their life is SO.EFFING.GREAT. But the key is to feel inspired, not envious. Be aware if someone only posts the "highlights" ; never tapping into real world issues or discussing a time where things aren't going as they planned. In that case, you can go without them. You want to be inspired by people, REAL PEOPLE.
Social media isn't going anywhere but there is a way to utilize it. Let me know below if you feel a purge coming on.
