I hope you’ve gotten a little dose of spring sunshine wherever you are! One thing that’s been on my heart lately is navigating the landscape of social media, and I wanted to share a few thoughts in case it encourages someone else who’s been wrestling with it too.
Social media has been a tool I’ve engaged with for quite a few years now. I’d say that it’s definitely played a large role in growing my business and in reaching more women. However, in the earlier years, I often felt like a slave to it – it was definitely a “have to,” rather than a “get to.” I felt like I HAD to post daily or at least regularly and consistently, or my business was going to die.
Then, a couple of years ago, my personal Facebook account got hacked, along with our ability to control my business page. While we eventually regained control of my business page for Refine, I was unable to get my personal FB account back, and I eventually just stopped trying.
In all honesty, while there are some parts of FB I miss (someone having a new baby, a wedding, etc), most of it I simply don’t miss at all. And so I’ve cut back a lot on what I’m posting on Instagram as well, trusting God to take care of the business even if I’m not posting about it regularly. I’ve taken long breaks from posting anything, and then Iwill get back into it for a bit. But as soon as the app is on my phone, I find myself clicking on it for no reason. It’s literally my brain looking for a quick dopamine hit. And so, while I believe social media can be used for good, I find myself in this place of wrestling.
Social media is a great way to educate women and share ways that PT can be so helpful! It’s a connection point to more women, and more than anything, I hope it’s a place to share Truth and God’s goodness and love. But I hate the addictive nature of the apps themselves. They are designed to addict you and draw you in, and anything that feels like bondage is something that I want nothing to do with.
So I’m continuing to wrestle with it. I don’t have any good answers, but I’m going to keep praying about it and see how the Lord leads. Right now, I delete it from my phone and then add it back when I feel led to share something. I try to be super mindful about clicking on the app and avoid scrolling if I do have to check something. And I share this with you b/c maybe you wrestle with it too, and I want you to know that you’re not alone. If I didn’t have to use it for work, I think I’d be tempted to completely delete it all. Not having FB has been the very best thing, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to having a FB account. If you’ve been afraid to give up social media, I’d invite you to try it for a month or two. You don’t have to get rid of your accounts, but delete the apps that are most addictive, and see how you feel at the end. See if what you missed is worth what you gained.
Always cheering you on in your WHOLE health,
Tanya
