30 days without social networks and that this (not) happened

Recently, I just did surrounds wave rejection of social networks: the people for a week refuse the Internet and mobile phoneAnd the editor of The Verge returns after a year off-line life and says that, in general, anything in his life dramatically changed. I also decided to try, and how difficult it may dispense with the three most popular social networks in RuNet: VKontakte, Twitter and Facebook. The reasons for this decision were several: the excess of political and "public importance" (actually not), and the conversations my tapes, general fatigue of the flow of information, the need to focus on a new project and seen for themselves FOMO syndrome (Fear Of Missing Out - Fear miss something important). This is when you are on the course of the day a hundred times "climb" into your smartphone or tupite it for hours, flipping through the tape updates, "Like" posts and statuses, or flipping through fotochki sorting tweets, because "so many interesting things well!" (In fact, No-2).

initially

"I swung" a month, but I have only enough for 18 daysAnd then I tell you why it happened and what lessons I have learned from my little experiment.

initial conditions

Refusal of the three most popular social networks in which I have 90% of all contacts and questions personal and business nature. Thus there is the use of the Internet, blogs, websites, Skype and other messaging systems. Blogs - through subscription, mail is operating normally - "left" only tape of news and updates. Even web-based and mobile clients of the three social networks I - on the experimental conditions - should not have been opened.

What happened

In the above mode, I lasted almost 20 days ( "almost" - because on the 18th day I had to write a message on Facebook to work, and with this "gone": it turned out that in this social network I have a whole bunch of unanswered important messages that were not about eternal "hi-how-things-what you do-not-yet-married," and quite operational issues and even some new proposals). Seeing this, I began to "dig" message and the other two social networks, and wondered whether to continue its "digital diet". And it decided to stop here is why:

Myth 1: "It's hard the first three days"

In fact, to abandon social networks difficult the first 24-36 hours. Then just you there are other personal or business affairs, tasks, you switch on the books, podcasts, music, movies and even (horrors!) poznvatelnyh watching TV on TV (we are not talking about terrestrial TV, of course, but they rule the technology: the connection to the streaming broadcast service gives access not only to the 32 live channels, which in Ukraine "processed" fragile mind the average person, but also to cognitive channels such as Viasat History and NatGeo Wild). So that by the second day there is no "break-up" about the lack of social networks, I never felt in my life. Just get out - and just get back as soon as you get bored (But be sure you get bored, I will explain below why).

Myth 2: "You will be a fabulous productivity gains"

And here and there. On the third day I am faced with the fact that writing the article "does not go" on the banal reason: information and inspiration before I could learn to like, simply "obliquely" running over the headers and discussion sites / projects on Twitter or in other social networks. In its "fat-free" Internet consumption and the need to open and scroll the tape of each individual blog site and I became to lose more time, and more often "lost" in that, and what exactly I'm looking for a full-scale preparation of the material in a particular content project. Instead of "fabulous growth of productivity" without social networks, I found myself in the role of a man who is forced to replace a couple of hammer stones, sticks and a rope, which is necessary to link it all "in one heap.» Twitter and Facebook filtered / set I so that serve as an aggregator of news and information source for the "whipping" of certain ideas and themes that are reflected in the content projects and blogs. The increasing complexity of the processes of search and selection of content without social networks has led to the fact that my productivity has fallen only.

Myth 3: "Your life will change dramatically"

No, I have not run in the morning 5 km, not much has changed the daily routine, and reading the book or movie instead zasmotrevshis extra hour in the social network has become even go to bed later. Perhaps I - lazy guinea pig without motivation, which spoils the concept of "faster, higher, stronger" Now that his statement, but drastic changes in my life did not happen in 20 days :) Moreover, the world around me, even as a "slowed down."

Myth 4: "The world without interesting social networks"

Maybe. But I missed the 5 off-line events to broad and niche audiences that took place in the city, for the simple reason that they have been informed / written on social networks, but not in the media or in blogs. Let not all of them, but some I could go / reach. Instead, I missed them, remaining in their "digital diet". Interesting happens offline, but warning that it is interesting to happen, we still get through the network anyway.

Myth 5: "You can completely abandon Facebook»

I did not congratulate a few people were in buyout birthdays, missed a few events and broadcasts on the Internet, announcements on which were placed within Facebook. In addition, the "likes" of Instagram and actions in some other connected applications and services, which was incorporated by the authorization Facebook-profile continued to fall into the main stream of social network updates from Mark Zuckerberg, even when I'm 20 days is not it I sign. You still believe that you can completely "give up" on it? Except that only delete your account and all the data (And then cached they will "stay" for a while).

lessons learned

Social Media - a tool. Fork - a tool. Fork can be neatly cut pieces have at ease using it for its intended purpose, and at the same time speeding up the process of food consumption and making it more convenient; and can kill a man or a fork to poke out an eye himself. Should we give up the forks or even better - to prohibit the use of the fork is only arms? Probably not. With social networking sites - about the same thing. Yes, I was not able to observe the "30 days" and for objective reasons, I stayed out of contact with social networks, only 18 of them. But whether artificially erect a barrier between themselves and versatile communications, if it is possible to combine all?

On social networks, you can spend only 1-2 hours per day - and stay up to date with major events, updates, find inspiring examples for yourself. It is important just to filter incoming information, do not forget those things and topics who deserve only complete "ignore". Now I will not waste their attention on the "Divan activists" and "fighters with everything and everyone."

And of course, it is important to remember that «haters gonna hate,» and as we say in Ukraine - "and we svoє robit": delayte their projects, to express their ideas, improve and develop their skills, learn new - social networks can help you with thisWhen to choose the right point of contact, priorities and themes that you are tracking with their help. And all the dregs of society, stereotypes and talk about who is now another "enemy number one" - gay, politics, ethnic minorities or startups - leave grandmothers on a bench at the entrance :)

A photo: Shutterstock