Another, another, another year (mostly) spent offline

Third time’s the charm

I bet you pardon me, darlin'

Hi there,

All my dreams came true this year. I even met someone offline. I loved hearing him tell the story: “We were at a comedy show and there is this woman heckling from the sides.” I smile coyly. I am that person. They say it’s impossible now to meet someone IRL, that I need the apps. We all do, they say. I try the apps and I’m exhausted by day two. The avatars wear me out; I delete them. I will not go back. I cannot go back. Wish me luck.

Five things to share:

1. It has taken me between 3 to 12 years to get here— depending on how you look at it, to get to where they said was impossible. Things are just different now, you know, they look at me with that sad-knowing smile. I smile back to placate them. There are no rules, of course, only consequences. I know that and I choose my consequences very carefully. I don't know what life will be like without the apps and the avatars, but I know what it is like with the apps and the avatars; so much noise, it will drown me one day. That's just life, you know, they look at me with that sad-knowing smile. I smile back to placate them. Life adjusts accordingly, of course. I know that too and I choose my life very carefully.

2. 2021: A year (trying to) spent offline

   2022: Another year (mostly) spent offline

   The growth has been exceptional!!! Give it time. If I have any useful advice to give, it is to give it time. Be patient, pay your dues— life is costly, and see it through. You owe yourself that much. If you have come this far, might as well. May the remainder of the journey be in your favour.

3. A quote I want to share with you:

   If you have to eat shit, don’t nibble.

   — Ben Horowitz

   The best advice I received end of last year. It has served me quite well.

   

   more lessons from 2022

4. When I deleted my Facebook account back in 2011, nobody was talking about how detrimental social media was to our well-being. I just knew my use of the platform was detrimental to my well-being. Between 2011 and 2016, I would continue to make half-assed efforts to manage my digital addiction, including keeping social media accounts to no more than two at a time and removing data from my phone. I assumed the issue was uniquely of my own shortcomings: There is something wrong with me. I assumed everyone else had a healthy, balanced relationship with their devices and social media. In 2016, a friend sent me the article the Slot Machine in Your Pocket, the straw that finally broke the camel’s back. Realizing I wasn’t just the crazy one, and forever the rebel, I decided I will attempt to save myself from the attention vultures by getting offline. And although I have accomplished so much in my life, far beyond what is expected of me, my most cherished accomplishment to date remains my time spent offline journey.

5. Two question for you: How was your year spent offline? And, how are you spending your Dead Week? (I love this idea so, so, so much!)

P.s. I’m just blabbering to save myself, to make some use of my one wild, precious life, but I am so deeply humbled it reaches you in this way!!!

*heart emoji*

And with that, I hope you had a rockin’ 2023. In any case, we get another year, another chance, to get back in the ring and throw our best hand: Life is a game. May the odds be ever in your favour.

Cheers to 2024. 🥂

That’s all for this week!

Thank you for reading, and share with anyone you think may benefit.

time spent offline is now a monthly analog publication you can get delivered straight to your mailbox with 20 ideas every month.

Until next year,

Mehret