Why I Gave up Social Media

It has been about a year and a half now, and the SnapChat world continues to live on without me. I have to admit, I have been tempted more than once to re-enter the society of SnapChat but here I am, sticking to my guns, and now I’m going to tell you guys why. I am stating the obvious, but just because this was true for me, does not mean it is true for you. You could have this incredible sense of self-control and only go on SnapChat five times a day. Who knows, maybe I was the only one, but just in case… read on.

I DELETED SNAPCHAT BECAUSE…

1. I WAS LIVING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES INSTEAD OF LIVING MY OWN.

Countless hours a week, sometimes a day, wasted watching other people’s lives. Wake up, check SnapChat. Bored, check SnapChat. On the toilet, check SnapChat. If some of your friends go out and do not invite you, that is actually okay. They are allowed to spend time with friends independently from you. If all these cool people are traveling the world, but you are stuck in school, guess what? You are furthering your education and they are gaining life experience. Equally as cool. Live your own life and stop wishing you had someone else’s. And if you really are unhappy with your life, go do something about it.

2. COMPARISON IS AN ITCH.

Christian author and pastor, Steven Furick says “The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” As a woman, SnapChat filled we with self doubt. The world is filled with beautiful people, but that does not mean you are any less beautiful yourself.  Even when it comes to material things. Do not let yourself fall into that downward spiral.

3. IF THE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE EXPECT ME TO WATCH THEIR SNAPCHAT TO STAY CURRENT ON THEIR LIFE, THEY PROBABLY NOT A PRIORITY.

I will be talking to someone and asking about their day and they’ll say, “Didn’t you see my Snap story?” No, no I did not. I was trying to have a normal conversation with you because I am genuinely interested in your life and growing relationships. Especially since I moved away to college, it means that much more to me when my friends keep in touch.

4. SNAPCHAT IS A LESS MEANINGFUL WAY TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE.

When something is shared publicly, it degrades the value of our connections.  If you intentionally share it with just one person or a few friends, there is a lot more meaning behind it.

Side note: When it comes to dating, SnapChat is a cop-out for the guy who wants to get your attention, but does not want to text you. It is like ‘poking’ on FaceBook.

5. YET ANOTHER EXCUSE TO SAY, “LOOK AT ME!”

This is one I had to be careful with and took a little more self awareness. I strive to be a selfless person, yet the more I had SnapChat the more I found myself being self-centered. Coming to the realization that I did not need everyone’s attention to find self worth was a growing experience, but a valuable one.

6. ADDICTIVELY SHARING MOMENTS INSTEAD OF SIMPLY ENJOYING THEM.

Yes, you could take all the things I just said about SnapChat and say it about any social media outlet, but for me SnapChat amplified everything. After deleting snapchat I pretty much had anxiety, so I knew I really had a problem. After a few months the urge to share everything I experience faded. It was a great relief.

Even as a social experiment, try deleting SnapChap for two weeks or for a month and see what happens. If anything, you will not have to worry about going over your data plan anymore.