20 Comments

Oh man, I wish I felt brave enough to delete these things off my phone permanently. It's the author platform part that scares me. We have such little ability to control the promotional/marketing efforts of our careers and social media feels like one place where I can at least be trying. But also it's not effective anyway, really? Still not sure what the answers are.

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I get that! It's such a double edged sword! We want other people to be addicted to our content without falling into the addiction too haha. I deleted it off my phone but I kept it on my iPad so that I can still post on it to keep up with ~content~ I've found just not having it on my phone to be beneficial to some degree because my phone is always on me and without it on my phone I'm on my phone a lot less!

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That's so smart! Maybe I'll try doing it that way!

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Love this diary comic! These thoughts and quotes are definitely things I needed to read right now. Being on social media/on my phone feels like static noise and a fog that weighs heavily and it's been really overwhelming. Gonna have to go try reading How to Do Nothing now :O

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Aw I'm glad to hear that Christina!! Let me know if you make it through the book i am still only like 80 pages in haha!

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Thanks for sharing! I recently picked up How To Do Nothing and am looking forward to getting into it. I've also been looking into another book that feels like it might dovetail from this idea: All the Gold Stars By Rainesford Stauffer. The byline of the title is "reimagining ambition and the ways we strive". Looking forward to the next book!

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Oh!! Wow, I just looked up All the Gold Stars and I got CHILLS from reading the description!! Definitely going to pick this up. We're really such slaves to this toxic hustle culture it's really hard to get out of the mindset. I had forgotten the things I had read in How to Do Nothing until I revisited my notes for this post and it's kind of scary how quick you can fall back into that mindset.

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I want to delete Instagram from my phone everyday but I need it for networking and work in general. It’s a conundrum because I’d be so much happier without it, but it’s like a carpenter throwing away his hammer. Or a barista cutting off their left arm.

Reading this post moved me a little closer to deleting it though and eventually I’ll get there. It’s nice to know that we’re not alone in pushing through the noise. Take care of yourself. 😀

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I totally get this! I also need it for promotion for work and it's also a way for me to keep in touch with friends too. I still browse instagram on my computer but it's so buggy that i get off it within a couple of minutes. I also kept it on my iPad so that I can still post but at least with it off my phone it's not glued to me 24/7! Also browsing Instagram on my iPad is quite a hassle so I don't end up spending much time browsing on it.

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I considered just using my iPad for everything and that way, like you said, it makes things more difficult so it could detract me from the distractions. Well, keep it up and let us know how it goes!

I foresee the world slowly unplugging from the Internet and getting back to simplicity and analog distractions like books and DVD’s. So who knows, maybe this will replace all of the digital deletion. Time will tell.

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Thanks for the recommendation of the book, will be checking that out. I go in phases with removing apps from my phone. An annoying battle!

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I definitely feel that! My record so far seems to be one month, so let's see if I can break it haha!

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I am so happy you chose accupuncture. I know you will feel better soon. Congrats, on pulling out if social media. It seems like an empty black hole to me.

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Thanks Diana! I'm hoping I'll feel better soon too!

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TikTok and Twitter are not my cup of tea but Instagram seems to be the one I can’t let go of. My fear about missing out on business growth through this app is real. I am hoping substack will be the home I always wanted though.

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I read Jenny’s book back in 2020 and let me tell you, I also had the feeling that my entire life was a lie where I was filling it with productivity and living for other people so I totally relate. I think I need to read it again because my tiny tiktok pea brain at the time was struggling to get through it hahah. I also go through moments of deleting all social media and try to be off of it for weeks or months but I’m trying to find a balance where I can still have it on my phone so I can post my work and not accidentally doom scroll and melt my brain. I think downloading Substack and ebooks on my phone has helped a lot hehe. I am on an Instagram detox right now and I am already noticing a huge change in my focus and overall well-being.

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Hilariously, my current substack draft that I'm editing, titled "I want to show you my art but I hate instagram", is about me having deleted the app off my phone and was inspired by a DIFFERENT book that I highly recommend! It's called 'No One Is Talking About This' by Patricia Lockwood!

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I go through phases of where I'm on and off Instagram. I started using an app called app blocker. It has a feature called strict mode, and there is no way to come out of it. Extreme addictions require extreme measures :) Anyhow, I had not been on Instagram for a week, and yesterday, I logged back on for a bit, and I could feel this crazy negative emotional shift again. This constant FOMO, comparison and anxiety becomes part of everyday life if we never give ourselves some time off social media. We forget what normal feels like because there is a new normal filled with anxiety. It's like when you are sick and feel healthy again; one is so grateful.

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I deleted the app previously known as Twitter 1 month or so ago, and I feel much less rage! I'm still worried about the same things, I'm just not perpetually ranting about them! I keep IG so that editors can see more experimental things I do. But. I rarely get the engagement I used to get. I think I suck at being a brand! I like being an author, an illustrator. But not a brand...

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