Months ago following some mindless scrolling I had the awakening that compelled me to write.
Once I got my “rants” down on paper, I discovered it was vastly less depressing to write about how social media made me feel bad, then to actually spend time mindlessly scrolling.
That realization was everything.
Why Risk Canceling Out a Good Thing For A Mindless Scroll?
I had just returned from an evening spent at a friend’s house.
You know that feeling after a a fun concert? A date? The completion of a 5K? The feeling that follows a night of fun? In this case it was a great time with friends.
Instinctively, I went for the ever-so-common habit of scrolling on social media. That’s when it dawned on me that the habit was messing with the good feelings.
Scrolling On Social Media Made Me Spill My Bucket
Grabbing my phone to scroll through social media seemed so innocent. It’s just what people do. It’s just a habit.
But for me, it canceled those pure and joyful moments out. There was always someone’s night that seemed to fare better. And in deciding to post about my night out, there was always someone who didn’t validate it via a like.
After a great time with loved ones I didn’t need more social interaction. So why did I head to social media?
I stopped caring what others were up to, or making sure I show the virtual world what I’ve been up to.
Why take the time to fill our buckets, to make the effort to see those we love, only to have them spilled by what we see online?
What About Our Loved Ones Buckets?
I take pride in prioritizing who I’m with over my phone.
Is it really fair to spill our loved ones’ buckets by making them compete with mindless scrolling?
I Know Now That Focusing on Enjoying our Real Life Moments Is All That Matters
Both In the Moment
Not literally stopping ourselves, our kids, our friends, to take the perfect photo. To worry about posting that moment to validate that we are doing something worthwhile.
and After the Moment
It means choosing late night activities other than mindless scrolling – activities that don’t erase our joy. Perhaps journaling. Maybe its looking back on photos and sharing them with those who were there. It’s keeping those memories near and dear instead of using them to validate the moment by sharing them with hundreds of others.
Let’s keep those buckets filled up for ourselves and for those who took the time to spend time with us.