#102 Smartphones and the distraction of social media

Hello friend,

I'm constantly surprised at how integral my phone has become in my everyday life. Over the past decade, it's gone from a novelty and distraction to a daily part of my life.

I spend way too much time on social media, and when I have spare time, I generally spend it randomly scrolling. So, I'm trying to wean my way off too much phone time.

I do feel the drain it has had on my mental health, attention and general intelligence (I'm not sure if it's my personal subjective feeling, but could I be feeling less and less intelligent the more social media I consume?)

While I see my smartphone as a great source of information and entertainment, it is also my notebook and scrapbook, a way of finding new connections and filling in the gaps in my memory. 

I do fear it; it makes everyone depressed and disconnected from reality, and the dopamine hit gives us an addiction. But then dopamine can be found in other activities, like exercise, socialising, listening to music, preparing a delicious meal, seeing a beautiful piece of art, spending time with family and singing, amongst other things.

Like most new technology, I think everything has positives and negatives. I think becoming aware of spending too much time scrolling will lead to finding a balance. Then, I don't believe in oversharing on social media. 

I'm very aware of what I share as I feel I'm being observed, stalked and criticised by others behind my back. There are a lot of creepers that read and see your post online and never comment yet talk about you to others. And that's friggin creepy. 

I hate the thought of strangers somehow oodling what I'm doing. It's pure voyeurism. Well, many content creators and others who work in social media deal with hate comments as frustrated people who are unhappy with their own lives will ultimately hate and criticise others. 

There is a large percentage of people observing without engaging with whatever you are creating. And that's even more disturbing. The idea of being criticised and ardently scrutinised creates an underlying energy of unsettling menace. To what end or ultimate purpose do people have to creepily observe others online without interacting? I've seriously considered deleting social media as the interactions seem superficial.

I can see friends, acquaintances and distant relatives viewing my stories without interacting. I have a new Instagram account for my collage art, which seems to be populated by people in my Sicilian small-town community; I feel like every time I post, I'm walking through the local Piazza, and everyone is looking at me from head to toe, like a scene from season two of the White Lotus.

I know the purpose of social media is to promote your work, but I'm questioning if it's worth the time and effort. 

As a writer, aren't I supposed to toil away alone, or with my editor or other collaborative workers in person with other writers and creators? Not share snippets from my life with strangers on the Internet. 

Perhaps it's because I've not found my audience in my online tribe. I've had some beautiful conversations with some readers. Still, they have been like random conversations while you're out doing your grocery shopping or accidentally bumping into an old teacher or acquaintance. Yes, there has been much encouragement and love from those following my journey. But these kinds of interactions are few and far between.

Most of the time, comments are random DM's from middle-aged American men or young guys from India or Pakistan. Or generic brands offering me jewellery, fitness wear, and sunglasses in exchange for a brand deal. Or even worse still, random likes and messages from long-lost acquaintances, brothers or sisters of third cousins removed twice, which are cringe-worthy.

As most creatives are introverted, I, too, find it difficult to put myself on display. I've always preferred to do my work in the background, not necessarily putting myself in front of the camera. Usually, I am the photographer, and that's just fine for me. So, the idea of being spied upon by people lurking about on the Internet is highly unpleasant for me.

Building an audience for your work takes many years, and it is important to keep telling people what you are doing professionally. It's a reality of our times. We can't get away from social media. I wonder how on earth people find the energy to keep doing it. I know I'll eventually be doing less and less on social media and more on the work I need to do to finish things polished and well.

Finding the right balance is essential to avoid getting too tangled up in expectations or distractions. Social media can be a big distraction. The focus should always be on getting your work done, then during a designated routine or programmed part of the week, whether it be a few hours at a time or with the help of scheduling, you can be very efficient with planning your social media posting. Social media should not get in the way of whatever creative work you do.

Well, that's all from me this week.

I will speak to you next time.

Rochelle

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