How to live without social media

There are no solutions, only trade-offs

Mehret Biruk

Mar 05, 2024

Hi there,

I cannot say enough about what a pleasant experience getting off social media has been. 10/10, would recommend.

Five things to share:

“So, no Instagram, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Snapchat, no Tik Tok…” I know he believes me when I say I’m not on social media, it’s just that he wants to make sure I didn’t forget to mention the Instagram account I kept for art inspo or the Facebook one I kept to stay in touch with family back home. “Nope, nothing” I say, “I have email?” I offer. We move on to more interesting topics. By now, my default has become no Instagram, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Snapchat, no Tik Tok… Not even WhatsApp: This one makes life the more inconvenient but as a woman of principles, I had to leave when Facebook acquired the platform sometime ago. Life adjusts accordingly.
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life for me
And I’m feeeeling gooood
A quote I want to share with you:
Law 18: DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF— ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS.
Since humans are such social creatures, it follows that the social arts that make us pleasant to be around can be practiced only by constant exposure and circulation. The more you are in contact with others, the more graceful and at ease you become. Isolation, on the other hand, engenders an awkwardness in your gestures, and leads to further isolation, as people start avoiding you.
— Robert Greene/ The 48 Laws of Power
A book worth the four hour it took me on foot to find a copy just to spite Amazon. Buying things in stores is a simple trick I use to spend more time offline and increase my chances of chatting with real humans. Win-win. Nobody said real life would be easy.
all my besties are parasocial
A question for you: Is the life you are living the same as the life that wants to live in you? (Source)