bath color via crayola color bath dropz (available here)
Last week, I made the decision to delete the Facebook app from my phone, and I have to say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made recently. Shockingly, no, my decision had nothing to do with the recent data mining/leaks from Facebook. Rather, I deleted the app from my phone because I found that it was becoming too much of a time-suck. I’ve mentioned a lot lately about Ryan and I are trying to clean up our lives. We’re working hard to de-stress, minimize excess, and really focus on the here and now. If there’s one thing that works to pull us from that goal, it’s technology.
I work in marketing, so my phone is my best friend in terms of my job. Nearly 60% of my work relies on mobile interaction, which is amazing, but it’s also a trap. It’s so easy to get caught up in technology and forget to live in the present. Ryan remarked on more than one occasion how often I was scrolling mindlessly through Facebook. And here’s the thing…I didn’t even really have a reason for doing so. I just did because it was there and because I could.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the articles floating around about how millennials spend all their time on their phones. I’m not really a millennial, but I’ll totally attest to how true it is. Your phone is so easily accessible at all times of the day, and there are too many moments where I was caught up in some utterly useless Facebook post when I should have been spending time with my kiddos. Luckily, there was a simple solution. I deleted the app from my phone. I did not delete my account, but I deleted my easy access to it, so I’m far less inclined to veg out and look at my phone.
Look, I rely heavily on my phone for pictures. I use it for Instagram, and I love recording moments with my kids. I don’t, however, like missing moments with my kids because I’m too wrapped up in an app that pulls me from the present. Deleting this app doesn’t make me a hero. Honestly, it’s a tiny, minuscule step in the right direction, but that’s just it. It’s a step in the right direction.
Since deleting the Facebook app, I’m less inclined to look at my phone before bed. I’m less inclined to pull out my phone while playing with my children. I’m less inclined to be completely and utterly distracted all the time. It’s so easy to get caught up in the likes and the instant gratification of Facebook. Each “like” is virtual approval, and it’s easy to use those to justify a means to an end. I’m a momma of two little boys. The approval I need is from them, from myself, and from my husband. It’s from a day well-spent.
Do I foresee myself deleting Instagram? No. I like it. I enjoy sharing pictures and little stories. I don’t spend hours on Instagram, and if I do spend time on there, I find it much more uplifting than Facebook. I don’t have Snapchat, and I won’t be getting it – simply because it’s unnecessary. The goal is to lessen distractions and boost presence in real life. I’m a work in progress. Heck, Ryan and I are both works in progress, but I think this was a great first step for me, and I’m so glad I did it.
