Becoming a Scarce Resource

 DBG and Deleting Socials

The older I get, the more exhausting it is to keep up with how fast the world is moving, changing, developing, etc. Just one semester abroad and I come home to a new social landscape: I need to Be Real to be keeping up with my friends. Snapchat was obsolete in Europe, they just didn't use it, but now people are slighted that I don't open their messages. I knew that the majority of the time, these socials weren't improving much about my life, but I couldn't put a finger on what it was. 

It was noise. Distracting me from what is important, from the things that will last. 

Suddenly keeping up with the trends didn't matter as much, assuming that most trends become quickly outdated. If I just never know about them, I won't miss them!

Obviously in practice, I am aware of trends, and I do still use some socials, but at the start of the year I got rid of TikTok, Snapchat, and I only use Instagram, the one that has lasted the longest anyway. If I want to be in contact with people I meet around the world, they only use WhatsApp and Instagram anyway, the latter seems to be ubiquitous with most youth I've met and anyone who doesn't use it likely doesn't use the others either. 

A scientific analysis and some of the behaviors I've noticed since drastically reducing my time scrolling:

By way of the simple laws of Supply and Demand, the more scarce a resource, the more valued it is. 

The near constant access via social media has cheapened our valuation of each other and our interactions. People are reduced to what they show the world of themselves, for better or for worse, but it's so two-dimensional. If a woman posts all of her physically best-looking photos, she may be revered as a "ten" or vilified as a "catfish", regardless, we still don't know what moves her to tears, what inspires her to try something new, or what she would give to spend one more day with her childhood pet. I want to find value in people based on the latter three statements, not what they look like. The first step in ensuring that, was removing myself from the cycle. 

Over the course of the past month, I'm aware that I've missed out on hours of hilarity between my best friends' Snapchat group and my carefully curated For You Page, but by not bearing witness, I get to hear my friends relay these stories to me when I do see them, and we have plenty to chat about. 

My time spent on Snapchat, TikTok, and even Instagram has drastically reduced, but my time spent making plans, FaceTiming my long-distance friends, and calling my mother has increased. I'm sure readers can guess which has more added value to my life. 

When I see my friends, I'm so glad not to know what they've been up to, eager to listen about their highs and lows since I've last seen them, and eager to share my own. It feels so... normal. 

If we never have to miss each other even a little bit, where is the motivation to put any effort into spending time together?

Early on in the month I brainstormed a list of things to do instead of scrolling, which I will share:

• Practice Guitar (my latest hobby)
• Listen to Records 
• Read a Book
• Paint my Nails
• Write my next Grocery List / Plan Meals
• Write out my Workouts / Physical Activity for the week
• Walk
• Draw something
• Plan a trip / hike
• Take an "everything" shower (mask, exfoliate, shave, etc. the works)
• Clean my Room
• Watch a movie with my phone in another room
  

Let me know in the comments what else I can add to this list!

These were a way to distract myself where I found myself itching for my habitual scrolling, it really hasn't been comfortable. It was a lot easier to be constantly connected, and I'm well aware of what I miss out on since I've been an avid user of social media outlets since each became popular. I remind myself, Discomfort Breeds Growth, and I reflect on the growing strength of my relationships since spending more time being emotionally present with my friends when we are physically present with each other. The funny moments are funnier, the advice we give more sincere, and even the silences somehow more shared. Life feels more human, more tangible, and more real in those scarcer moments than it ever did with the constant digital connection. 

If you've ever thought about cutting out some of the noise in your life, this is your sign to do it! Until next time, find your factor..

JJ