Beyond Physical Social Distance

I have taken the plunge, for the next 21 days I will be Social Media free. No Twitter, sweet, sweet, Twitter and no more Instagram. It's been a few hours since I hit that log off button and it is safe to say that what I am experiencing now is a high, a possible adrenaline rush. The night routine is done, laundry is folded and the mythical load has been taken off.

I have found myself becoming some sort of slave to the screen. It is not an addiction at least, I don't think it is. This particular evening I found myself questioning my stance. Why do I only have X amount of followers? 341 to be exact. Why don't my posts get as many likes? Is my profile unlikeable? Does it not stand out?  The answers to these questions are actually quite easy, my posts are few and far between, my account is nowhere under the logarithm's radar. No visibility, no audience.

The big question though, why do I care? I am not looking to be some sort of social media guru/sensation.  I have remained authentic to me, from the streets to the timeline, it is the same me across the board, I figure if I like me then surely YOU (prospective follower) like me. It only makes sense, right? Wrong, dead wrong.

So, this is yet another episode of me being in my head a little more than I should. Any aspect of my life where I find myself scaling the ladder of social approval is the red zone, climbing further and further away from the comfort of me. I mean sure, on the way up there's progress here and there, hearing what I want to hear, seeing what I want to see only making myself clamour higher and higher with no summit in sight.

Slow and sure just isn't as appealing, part of the reason for the demise of my Youtube channel. The numbers next to the symbols should just be that, but somehow I have found myself swayed to the dark side, a regular player at the numbers game, yet another game where prowess is required, prowess only possessed by the chosen few.

Evidently, this is not a pleasant headspace to be in hence my reclaim over the reigns in my life. Will 21 days make everything okay? No, but it will offer a break to the ever running machine that is my mind, some perspective, a sense of clarity, control and  I will be more than happy to take all that and more, over constant doubt.

The idea will be to tap out of one vice (social media) and tap into a virtue. Be it writing on here, reading, watching, listening. Ideal living.