I Don’t Want to Be a Social Media Zombie Anymore

October 8, 2012 in Creativity, Life, Quick Reads, Uncategorized with 28 Comments

Photo by April Sikorski (Creative Commons)

 

I’m used to staring at a little screen off and on ALL night long.
Twitter. Facebook. Email.
Repeat a few minutes later.
Repeat a few minutes later.
Repeat a few minutes later.
All night long.

Now I’ve had no internet at home for 5 days.

Do I still have friends?

Did I miss something important?

I love chocolate chip cookies, but I don’t eat them all night long every night.
I’ll have one or two once a week.
I’d love to eat more, but I know better.

More doesn’t mean better.

Enter this Writers Unite writing revolution I’ve started.
Focus on ONE thing.
Something hard.
Something challenging and scary.
I’m used to dividing my attention into 500 different things.
I keep feeling pulled back to Twitter, email and Facebook.

But I don’t want to be a social media zombie anymore.

 

How do you manage not to be a social media zombie? Help me out. Thanks so much! 

Pin It
  • Rp391

    Jim,
    …as I’ve mentioned, (((You Can Do It…!)))
    Me: FB-Free for 2+yrs now…
    [ Slayed My Own Personal Social Media Zombie ]
    How? …CHOICES
    1. Sitting around Idly Munching Chocolate Chip Cookies (fb) Day In and Day Out or Enjoying Good Health & Some Much Needed Weight Control (Better Headspace for Creative Writing).

    YOU CHOOSE…(Hint: Don’t Wait ’til You’re 50)

    Life IS Short…but, The Journey IS Loooooooong.
    May Your Diving Board of Faith Be Long & Flexible.
    May Your Swimming Pool of Mercy & Grace Be Deep & Full.
    NJOY U’r Wknd…>

    P.S. Step Away from the Chocolate Chip Cookies, Take a Walk,
    Count Your Many Blessings, Count Them One By One…

  • http://twitter.com/elramey debra elramey

    I know, I know. I could eat a whole box of popsicles, but I shouldn’t. FB and Twitter are like junk food: too much gets you out of shape. Good analogy Jim.

  • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

    I’ve been seriously entertaining the thoughts of going facebook-silent, or purging facebook all together. Don’t know what that would mean for my blog and writing audience… but can you imagine all the headspace you would get back if you never thought about facebook? What could you make without the distraction?

    And the calm… it would be so restful.

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      Totally your call Cole. I don’t want to tell you what to do, but for me personally, I think it is not Facebook’s fault as much as my lack of discipline that is the issue.

      • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

        I get that. Even for the most disciplined mind, there are always “open tabs in the background” so to speak. Even though they are not commanding your conscious attention, they are taking up space in your subconscious (or RAM to extend the metaphor).

        • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

          I want my subconscious free for creation and problem solving. Still don’t know if I’m going to change anything, but have been entertaining the idea.

    • http://dailygallen.com/ tim gallen

      i love this suggestoin, cole. and it is something i have thought about many a time. really the only reason i maintain a facebook account is to keep in touch with a handful of people with which i have no other way of staying in touch. but there’s not a week that goes by where i don’t think about shutting down my facebook account.

      • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

        I know, classic risk/reward. I do feel that facebook has been delivering less value recently, which seems to be pushing these thoughts.

    • Rp391

      YES!!! (((You Can Do It)))
      I’ve been fb-free for 2yrs & have NOT Regretted it, even to this day…!
      *The ‘Headspace’ as you say IS Simply Amazing*
      NJOY U’R Wknd…>

  • http://intentionaltoday.com/ Ngina Otiende

    Scary pic! lol. I hear you.

  • http://deuceology.wordpress.com Larry Carter

    I don’t really. But I have unintentionally been doing it. Maybe subconsciously.

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      Larry, you are the man. Seriously, I wish I could do that. I’m getting better…slowly but surely.

    • Rp391

      …fancy meeting you here, Sir…
      usually see ya @ SCL
      NJOY U’R Wknd…>

  • http://snapshotofthewhole.wordpress.com/ Pamela Williamson

    I can limit my social media time great when I have a wip that keeps me occupied. When I’m in between works though it’s tough. No internet? That’s tough. I’m not sure how I’d get along. :)

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      It’s not easy Pamela!! haha. I have been quite challenged lately :)

  • http://dailygallen.com/ tim gallen

    when i really focus on something it’s easy for me to forget about twitter and facebook. not sure how that happens, exactly, but on occasion it does. :-)

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      What’s the secret Tim??? :)

  • http://twitter.com/Prathiiiii Prathipa

    I really dont want to be social media zombie, reducing my time to 15-30 mins a day, rest all time writing. short time goal is to finish my novel by this friday!

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      AWESOME Prathipa!! Good for you!!!!!!!!

  • http://randomlychad.com Chad Jones

    That’s what Words With Friends is for. ;-)

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      OH my! Haha!

  • http://KatieAxelson.com/ Katie Axelson

    I’m addicted too, Jim… When I was at STORY, it was perfectly acceptable to keep your phone out at all times even tweeting/texting during the speakers. I kept mine on the @ page to see what I was being tagged in and couldn’t keep up with everything else. Sure, I missed some great things but it also felt nice, relaxing to realize I didn’t have to keep up with the world (sure, a lot of my feed was the quotes I was hearing live).

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      Quitter was the same way. Thankfully I didn’t know the password to the wifi so I kind of took an unintentional break for the first day of the conference ;)

  • http://twitter.com/cupojoegirl Eileen Knowles

    YOU might not eat chocolate chip cookies all day long but… :) Great reminder, Jim. Still trying to figure out my ONE thing to focus on this month.

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      I really don’t. It might APPEAR that I do…but I don’t. Oh crap, now I’m really hungry and craving a cookie. Shoot!! :) haha

  • http://rebootingworship.com/ Jamie Kocur

    I’d love to answer this question, but I gotta go check Facebook.

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      haha :)

      • http://rebootingworship.com/ Jamie Kocur

        In all seriousness though, I’m totally with you. I love Facebook because it keeps me connected with some very special people in my life that are way too far away, but it’s gotten WAY too out of hand. Throw Twitter and e-mail and having it at my fingertips in the mix and it’s REALLY bad. Last year on vacation, I didn’t check FB for about four days. By day two, I didn’t even really want to check it. I think it’s just something you have to set your mind to and remind yourself the world will not end if you’re not seconds up to date with everything.