Photo by Paul Skorupskas / Unsplash
Update: I am back on Threads and Bluesky. It’s almost two months and I don’t miss Facebook and WhatsApp.
If you’ve known me for a while, you know I’ve been active on various social media platforms. The first site I signed up for was LinkedIn, followed by Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and so on.Life, as always, has brought some changes recently, but this time, I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information on these sites. It’s often distracting, pulling me off course and impacting my productivity.
So, today I decided to clean up and refocus.
Here’s the plan:
I will delete Threads, Facebook, WhatsApp, Bluesky, and X.
Threads is my favorite among all my social media accounts, but it’s also the most distracting. I connect daily with some wonderful people, especially those in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I currently live. It’s close to my heart. But if I audit my time, the results are clear: I spend most of it on Threads. So, if I want to reduce my social media use, this one has to go first.
As for Facebook, I’ve loved it and used it as my go-to social site for years, though activity from friends has slowed. I’ve had an account since 2007, so it feels strange to let it go. However, I haven’t had the Facebook app installed on my phone for the past two months, and I don’t miss it. So, like quitting smoking, quitting Facebook (with all its moderation issues) is something I can live with.
Regarding WhatsApp, I mainly avoid it because it’s widely popular in Indonesia, and my Indonesian contacts are all there. Many aren’t as relevant to my life anymore, as we’ve been in different countries for years. I also don’t use X or Bluesky much, so there’s no reason to keep them.
I will keep LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
LinkedIn was the first social site I joined in 2007. While I don’t use it often and it’s my least favorite (due to the type of activity that usually dominates), it’s essential. Employers often ask for LinkedIn profiles, especially here in the Bay Area, so I’ll keep it for professional reasons.
Instagram and YouTube serve different purposes. I use Instagram for watching Reels and YouTube for British football, music performances, photography, and video-making content. Both sites require users to have some level of skill, so the content feels more curated compared to text-based sites like Threads or X.
What will I focus on without these accounts?
- First, I want to spend more time guiding my daughter to get into the right university for her studies. This was our main goal in moving to the U.S.—to give her the best opportunities. Everything has been going well, and she continues to impress us with her results and achievements. I don’t want to miss any more moments watching her progress.
- I’ll also focus on work. I have a new job starting next week, which will occupy most of my time.
- I want to keep creating, too. I currently have an abandoned podcast and video-making project. I recently invested in a new camera system, and I’m excited to see where it takes me creatively. Also, I would want to spend more time working on my side hustle which is developing WordPress websites for small businesses.
I think that’s it. Bye for now.
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