Special Edition: Join me on my 4th annual social media sabbatical
(Tim Robberts / Getty Images)
Dear Backchannelers,
I’m just going to say it: social media sabbaticals are *so* 2013. That is, in fact, the first time I embarked upon one. And back in 2013, social media was still mostly something that could be compartmentalized and removed from one’s life without significant consequence. That was before my Facebook handle was the de facto log-in for most of my other apps, from Airbnb to MapMyRun; before Google Hangouts was the software I used to video conference with my colleagues; before Facebook Live introduced a new form of news reporting.
To wit: social has changed everything about the way we communicate. And it has done so in a remarkably short period of time. Just a dozen years ago, Facebook didn’t exist. Today, it’s infused into every aspect of the way I live and work, so much so that it‘s no longer possible for me to decouple myself fully from it. And as useful as it is, most days it leaves me feeling massively overwhelmed.
Information overload is *sooo* not a new problem. From the time the first person choked on a smoke signal, we’ve been concerned about the prospect of technology producing informational overload. Take, for example, Swiss scientist Conrad Gessner, who complained about how the modern world overwhelmed people with data and information. That was in the 16th century, shortly after the invention of the printing press. At the time, he was trying to create an index of every available book and the sheer volume, he feared, would impose an unbearable psychological strain upon us.
Even so, the pain of information overload is real. These services have developed faster than I’ve been able to develop strong habits around how to use them. Much as I aim to check Twitter in moderation, I find myself scrolling through the feed before I go to sleep at night. So, every August I embark on a social media sabbatical — an enforced time out from the services I use for personal social networking online.
This year, I want to make it a group effort. I threw the invitation out to my Facebook friends, and immediately 15 people signed on. I invite you to join, too. Here’s how it works:
The Rules
Make a list of the services you’d like to include — or exclude. They’ll range depending on your profession — and your personal tolerance. Be realistic — don’t set yourself up to fail. Here’s mine: Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Timehop, Whatsapp, Messenger, Kik, Instagram, Google Hangouts, Skype and Pinterest. I will continue to use Medium and LinkedIn, and I will continue to post my work on Twitter, since it happens automatically when I publish on Medium. And, I’ll continue to use Slack and Trello. I need all of these social tools to do my job.
Create a folder on your mobile phone labelled “Don’t Touch.” Move all your chosen apps into it. Make sure to open your settings and turn off all of your alerts.
Give everyone you know a heads up. Increasingly, your friends and family expect to be able to reach you on these services, and you need them to know they can’t.
Change your profile pics. There’s no such thing an “away” message on social media. Most of these services have built business models that rely on that feeling that you may miss something and therefore have to check in — right now this second. So, make your own posts, and replace your profile pic. Or, feel free to screenshot the one I made:
My August profile pic__Think ahead!__ Any birthdays you want to remember this month? Write them down, now. Any Facebook event invitations for which you’ll need the location or time? Or contacts that only have your Twitter handle?
Plan a replacement activity. When the temptation to check social strikes, know exactly where you’re going to go. For me, it’s The New York Times, Backchannel and WIRED. When I want to turn away from my work and check in with, well, anything other than my work, I plug their URLs into my browser.
The Skinny
Past experience suggests that if you join me, this is what will happen: For three days, your heart will race. You may have the shakes or feel anxious. You will wonder why you didn’t instead give up sugar because surely that would be easier. And then the addiction will subside, and you will miss it. The missing will be acute but temporary, and it will come at unexpected times. You may knock the urge to watch Snapchat stories before bed, but at some point you’ll remember that your father’s birthday is August 14. (Yup, dad, that’s you.) You’ll probably remember this in the second half of the month, and you may kick yourself for not calling him.
You will also begin to notice the important things you really need from social media. This is largely the point of the exercise. I encourage you to keep a list entitled “Things I Really Need.”
My 2015 ListAnd then, at some point near the end of August, you will begin to consider what social services you want to restore when September begins — and how you wish to commit to using them. Perhaps not at work? Perhaps not after 8pm? Perhaps not before noon? Perhaps you want to weed your contacts down to just a dozen? (Ok, that’s radical.) This reflection is also the point. By the time September begins, you’ll be well positioned to return to social media.
Your Role
To join me on my sabbatical, comment below — and tell me why you’re in. Then, at some point during the month, send me an update to let me know what you notice. (You can post it here, or you can email me directly at jessi@backchannel.com.) I’ll collect your reflections, and use them to codify a set of 2016 best practices, which I’ll share with all of you. Together, we’ll figure out how to do away with our massive social information overload, while preserving the best aspects of the tools social media has introduced.
