UPDATE (16 Oct 2023): I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying out microcasting and short vlogging.

A few years ago, I wrote a guest post titled “5 Benefits of Limiting Social Media Usage” for No Sidebar.

I used to be REALLY active on Twitter (now X) way back during 2009-2012.

I deleted that original account, then opened another one in 2021 (@JessWriting) to take part in a Canva design challenge and browse literary magazines.

I do think of Pinterest from time to time and might create one that centers around my creative writing interests. I like the visual format of it. I also like that the feed tends to be less prone to sudden political or other frustration-oriented outbursts as compared to Twitter/X.

Reddit is still my vice sometimes as a lurker, but that’s another post for another day… 😂

Why / When Did I Step Back?

I can’t remember if there was an exact moment when I started to pull back.

It may have been during my short-lived time on Instagram several years ago. Even though I’d curated my feed to (mostly) show me things I was interested in, I still found scrolling it to be a stressful experience. I felt it in my bones, my creative spirit, and my mental health.

I was making a lot of conscious and subconscious comparisons about:

• what my profile should be looking like
• “aesthetics”
• what I should be wearing
• what I should be achieving
• how much I should be exercising
• what I should be doing to increase followers, etc.

It reached a point where I felt like it was sucking all the life and energy out of things I DID enjoy doing.

Things like reading, drawing, and writing—all of which require a considerable amount of time and focus.

I admire people who have the time and energy to create/post frequently and get the platform(s) to meet their goals.

But while I could see how social media was very useful for some people, I never really fell into that category. In the long-term, I can never be something that I’m not.

For this reason, I’ve chosen not to open a Threads account, despite my initial curiosity of it being a viable alternative to Twitter/X.

Threads is tied to your Instagram account, which for now means that both will be deleted if you choose to delete one.

It probably also comes with the same privacy concerns as its parent company, which I’m not all that thrilled about.

As for TikTok, I don’t mind occasionally viewing stuff, but I’m not cut out to be a creator on that platform.

I like to be happy with the platforms I choose to be on, which is why I’ve stuck with blogging.

P.S. A couple of former classmates might remember a time I vehemently opposed blogging (saying it was “too personal”). This was just before social media and FB exploded!!

Social Media and Writers

Here are a few articles on writers who’ve quit or stepped back from social media:

• On being a writer and quitting social media (Rachel Rowlands)
• Why I Don’t Maintain a Social Media Platform (Diego Jourdan Pereira)
• Writers, Stop Using Social Media (Like That) (Allison K Williams)

Writers on Pinterest

Thanks to Kindlepreneur, I came across some writing / writer-related Pinterest accounts:

• Jody Hedlund
• Beth Revis
• Kindlepreneur
• 20 Inspiring Pinterest Boards for Writers (The Write Life)

Time and Connections

I’m in several FB and Goodreads groups, and I post occasionally when I have something interesting to add to the conversation.

Otherwise, I’m probably going to continue my restrictive approach to social media.

I like having the time to appreciate making new connections, whether it’s through books/stories or one-on-one interactions with people (virtually or in person).

And I like doing that without the distraction or time commitment that comes with frequent social media usage.