JOMO from Social Media

Yeah, it is the Joy-Of-Missing-Out! Well, to each its own, they say. I am totally aware of the advantages of social media and there is no denial to that. But you see, I knew I did not have it in me to be an influencer of any sorts.

Truth be told, I got out of Instagram when my login stopped working. I was furious but lacked the energy to fight and get it back (My sister that I was up to something naughty). I was also going through a phase where I doubted my self worth and wasn't ready to put myself out there to the world to judge me more. It has been 2 years since and now I think its almost cool to say I am not on social media.

Do I miss it? Only when the obsessed mother in me doesn't get to see what her son is doing on social media. But that is the beginning and end of it because I have my ways to make him talk, nevertheless. Even at the cost of not being up to date on the latest trends - I am almost considered a latest-trend-illiterate.

Let me tell you 5 things it has done to me, apart from making me cool, that is.

1. For lack of a better word, I stopped feeling jealous. Jealous of people having a good life or a better life than me. Needless to say, that stopped me from being in the forever race of social standards.
2. I started seeing people for who they really are and not by the façade they put up on Insta. Because I am not connected to people on the platform, I get to ask the real hard hitting questions - "how have you been?" Trust me, I get some genuine answers.
3. I was the personified version of "Man is a social animal". No, seriously! My circle shrunk to people I can count on my fingers. Meaningful conversations with people that matter, my 2 AM panic call lists, more coffees for two ... all of this and more, really and meaningfully shrunk.
4. It was almost as if I built an wall around me and did not allow anyone to enter. And then started opening the door for one person at a time ... slowly. Now I have a room full of people who celebrates me naturally and I do the same for them.
5. I stopped clicking pictures. Pictures that I used to click only to post. Apart from my phone having a lot more memory space, I realise, I have started living in the moment, having conversations without getting distracted, having a good heartful laugh instead of wanting to capture the moment which anyway did not do any justice. I would stop in the middle of a walk in the most scenic places and wouldn't feel the need to take a picture. That was priceless!

Like I said, to each its own. This worked for me fantastically well, but you might not need this to keep yourself sane. I wasn't strong enough and hence needed something extreme to keep my sanity in place.

What is important though (at the risk of sounding like an old woman giving gyaan), what I gained from it. Meaning, Purpose, Friends, I can call from my sickbed (real sick, not cough and cold sick) and most importantly, Time!

Leaving you with that thought, sleep on it tonight!