UPDATE–My (Not So) Social Media Experiment: Goodbye Forever, Social Media.

Thirty days ago, I started an experiment with Social Media. I wanted to remove the social aspect from social media and use it only to publish information. So, over the last month, I’ve used it only for that purpose. I haven’t scrolled through Facebook or Twitter. I’ve just posted the information and logged off.

My goals during this experiment were many. I wanted to regain wasted time, increase productivity, have more authentic relationships, and evaluate my addiction to social media. Here’s what I’ve learned and what I’ve concluded:

What I’ve Learned

Over the last month, my mind has significantly slowed down, in a good way. I have noticed that my thoughts are no longer jumpy (or at least not as jumpy). I’m no longer in a rush. I can slow down and enjoy. Maybe this is because I’m not wasting time on social media, so I have time to accomplish what needs to be done. Or it could be that social media has a way of speeding up our minds, creating ADHD-like effects as we move from one story to the next with the scroll of a thumb. I can’t tell you why; all I can tell you is that my mind isn’t moving 90mph in a 30mph zone.

My productivity has increased, because I have more time to get the right stuff done.

The Lord convicted me that the increase of productivity isn’t the goal. I’m a “go-getter.” I’m the guy who sets a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) and then makes it happen. But Lord convicted me about halfway through my thirty day experiment that just because I had more time, he didn’t want me to fill that time doing more things.

I spent more time with the Lord in Worship (that’s one of the things the Lord was after).

I spent more time with family (that’s another thing the Lord was after).

I was able to finally break through my exterior shell and recognize that I need to process grief with Greyson’s death in a different way. This was completely unexpected. Maybe it would have happened apart from the escape from social media, but i doubt it. When i stepped away from the false world of social media, it allowed me to see and feel and process.

My lack of social media revealed some unhealthy and sinful patterns in my life (another thing the Lord wanted). I begin to realize the selfishness of my own posts. I posted them to see how many likes or comments I would get or how many laughs would that joke get. It was all about me. It was self-centered. It was prideful and sinful.

My Experiment Conclusion

When I started the thirty-day experiment, I didn’t think it would end like this. I figured it would change my habits in the long run, but I didn’t anticipate writing what I was about to write. Nonetheless, here is the conclusion of my thirty-day social media experiment:

Goodbye forever, social media. Life is too good without it. I have no desire to go back. I’ll need to figure out how to get photos and memories off of Facebook, and then it’ll forever be deactivated.

I won’t go so far as to suggest what’s right for you. But, if you have any desire, run your own experiment. You might have completely different results than I had…or, you might join with me and toss your social media accounts into the virtual trash can.