For nearly a year, I tried unfollowing everyone on Instagram.
And well, that didn’t work.
I was spending close to an hour a day on the Insta app. I’m not sure exactly what comprised that figure. But it was there, like a rock in my shoe. It begged the question; “What could I do with an hour not spent on kinda sharing with friends but mostly watching repetitive fitness, dance, or fitness-dance loops?”
It’s not you, it’s me!”-George Costanza
So I unfollowed everyone, including you.
And what did I do with that time I got back? I spent it on Facebook and Reddit instead. I did some productive things with my freed-up time, but I ultimately found another vice to inject into my eyeballs via screentime.
So, instead of removing the app, I re-purposed it.
I started being very selective of who I followed. I was starting from zero, each new follow should add something to my life. I wanted thought-leaders. Meaningful quotes and introspections from great minds. I wanted fitness icons who only spread their magic through positivity and stayed a little humble.
So far, I’m up to six people that I follow. Mikhaila Peterson, Jordan Peterson, EC Synkowski, Brian Johnson, A good physio channel can e3rehab, and West Little Rock CrossFit.
I rarely spend 20 minutes on Instagram every day or two, because these people put up their message and then go about their day. That’s enough for me to learn from, maybe apply it or ponder for a moment, and go about mine.
I’m also signing up for a premium youtube account because there is SO MUCH great material that I could learn from without ads and distracting notifications because I have to keep my screen on. (Free Youtube has to stay open to play videos.)
I keep my friends in real life and occasionally see their pics on Facebook, or Skynet, or whatever it’s called now.
I like this setup much better. Maybe you feel like I did. Try hitting the reset button. Zero out who you follow, and then slowly add back value.
Stop sending me whatever Tik Toks are.
Get off my lawn.
