Why I'm Pausing my social media (for a little while)
Growing up, I used to be a really bored kid.
In response to my constant complaining, my dad let me know that "people that are bored, are boring." I reluctantly listened to him (who wants to be boring?) and found ways to keep myself occupied. I picked up drawing, I would bike to my friends house, I'd read comics and watch movies.
It's only now that I've come to appreciate boredom as a special state in my life.
I left my job in 2017 in part, to create more freedom and space in my life. Before I left, I'd envision a summer spent hiking during the week, occasionally working, finding new hobbies and spending lots of time with friends and family. In other words, less screen time and more time living. But in reality, I've found myself spending just as much time in front of screens, especially social media.
There are enough researched-based arguments for why we should limit our phone use, so I won't bore you with the details. I am interested in creating more space in my life. More time for boredom, instead of stifling it with needless scrolling on my phone. More clarity, focus and attention to the people and activities in my life. And greater, uninterrupted time to devote to building my filmmaking skills.
My expectations are not high - I'm not looking for a transcedential experience. I am curious as to what can happen without this thing we're often told is necessary in our lives. Our devices are touted as something that is suppose to bring us closer together, but I've been experiencing it taking us further apart in real life.
You won't find me active on social media, but come back here to stay updated. I do have intentions to write up a storm.
Here are a bunch of resources that I came across (on my devices of course.)