HI! Welcome to my little corner of the internet, and where I plan to hang out for the next 40 days, and maybe <hopefully> longer into the future! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… I’m not sure if blogging is dead, but I’m not going to start over on Substack when I already have and pay for this site. I try every few months to resurrect this venture, with every intent to make it a habit, but alas, after a few days I forget and move on.
I’m hoping this time will be different, seeing as I won’t be sharing on Social Media. Can you believe it? I’m actually doing it. Giving up social media for Lent. I know this seems laughable to some, because people do it all the time, or (gasp) don’t even use social media in the first place <ie. my husband>. But for this girl who has been addicted to Instagram since 2011… that’s kind of a big deal.
I thought about this as I sat on a balcony in Miami last week, that maybe THIS would be the year I actually attempt this. Over the past 37 days I’ve been “bricking” my phone. Are you confused? Allow me to explain. There is a device, called a brick that you set it up on your phone to lock out certain apps at certain times of the day, and the only way to “unbrick” it is to physically go to the device and tap your phone to it. I know, there are ways to do this with the screen time settings on your phone, and I’ve tried that before but I didn’t have the willpower to NOT “allow access” after my time limit had passed. “Just a few more minutes” I’d tell myself and then mindlessly scroll for another few hours. My screen time usage was embarrassing, and I knew once I started hiding the truth about it from my husband that it was becoming a problem. Tasks weren’t getting done. Dinner wasn’t getting made. My level of annoyance and agitation went sky high. All the warning signs were there. I’d rather check out of my life and allow the thoughts, opinions & lives of other people to fill my mind and my day.
This isn’t meant to be an ad for Brick, but I can’t even begin to tell you, those first couple days were interesting. I busied myself with stuff I needed to get done, laundry, cleaning, schoolwork with the kids. But then something amazing happened. I realized missing out on other peoples lives, their posts, reels and stories, meant I was being fully present in my own. We started doing fun projects again, I was playing with them, looking them in the eyes, snuggling on the couch (undistracted). I learned a new hobby. I sat in the silence, or as the gen z kids are calling it “Raw-dogging” or not filling moments of downtime with screen time. You know, like we did in the 90’s <gasp>. (Also, raw dogging means something else if you grew up in the 80s & 90s… just saying)
Let’s break this down and do the math. I’ve been bricking for the past 37 days, that’s 888 hours. Of those 888 hours, I’ve had social media turned off for the past 789 hours. Allowing for 99 hours of social media use. That just means it was available on my phone, not that I was actually on it. But let’s just say hypothetically, I did use it, that would be 2.7 hours a day of social media use. Which, full disclosure, is EXPONENTIALLY LESS than what I was ACTUALLY spending on my phone before.
I used to sit a let reels and videos play as I cooked dinner, got ready in the morning, sat on the couch with my kids, hell, I even would watch stuff while I was attempting to do school with my kids. And as I sit here and try to recall the content of what was in the videos or clips I watched, my mind is blank. I can’t remember. I wasted precious memories with my kids, in order to watch clips that I can’t even recall now. Was it worth it?
I know you might say I’m being too hard on myself, and to give myself grace. Yeah. I’ve told myself this as well. That’s just what people do these days, fill voids with their phones. But I challenge you, put the phone down, go for a walk, touch grass. The drama of the news, politics, other peoples lives will still be there whether you see it in real time or not. And if things are THAT important, someone else will let you know. (like finding out that James Van Der Beek died).
Okay, off my soapbox. But I’m going back. Back to updating my life, like I did back in 2006-2009. IF you made it this far, thank you. If you’re going to be reading and keeping updated with our lives, won’t you be so kind as to engage with likes and comments. Until next time! <3