When was the last time you just sat in boredom without opening an app and scrolling endlessly? Without the unconscious need to be stimulated by some video or article? I used to listen to music, call my friends, pace around, maybe read a book, or go for a walk. Now, it’s too easy to self-soothe when I’m feeling uninspired. I can easily put on a YouTube video and watch people go about their aspirational lives, go on TikTok and save a bunch of videos I’ll never watch again, or bookmark articles, knowing I’ll forget to read them. I can’t remember the last time I was truly bored and did something other than look at a screen to find instant gratification, and it sucks to realize I haven’t done anything more meaningful with my time.
I deactivated my personal Instagram account about a month ago because I felt my brain rotting from being on it constantly. When I wasn’t posting, I was scrolling excessively; when I was posting, I was constantly checking to see who commented or liked my post. At first, I told myself I was on Instagram for “research.” I wanted to save photos and videos of recipes, interior decor, outfits I could recreate, and places I could visit. But then, nothing changed. I didn’t even bother trying most of the recipes I saved, I always felt like I had to buy something to refresh my space and outfits—and am I really gonna go to Andorra for cross-country skiing when I can’t even skate? It has made me question everything I’ve ever posted. Almost everything and everyone looks the same. I don’t recognize who’s posting what anymore, and sometimes, I don’t even recognize myself anymore either. Have I lost my sense of individuality? Have I lost my ability to be alone with my thoughts and feelings without the influence of someone I’ve never even met?
“I worry that if we let our real-life interactions be corralled by our filter bubbles and branded identities, we are also running the risk of never being surprised, challenged, or changed—never seeing anything outside of ourselves, including our own privilege.”
― Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
Far too many social media strategists and trend forecasters tell aspiring content creators to replicate viral videos and “put your own spin on it” or record absolutely everything they do and “be the guinea pig for new experiences.” They also tell people to post five times a day, go live, respond to every single person who interacts with them, and make their videos feel like a FaceTime call because audiences crave companionship. And I must admit, the potential amount of money you can make from being an influencer is enticing. The global market is worth 21.1 billion US dollars today—I get it. However, most aspiring influencers are generally younger people who are either in their late teens or early twenties, and in my opinion, those years are really pivotal for growth and experiencing life. To become independent, more intuitive, and develop your interests. To shape your identity through lived experiences.
In How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, author Jenny Odell suggests we engage in nature instead of our devices, and I couldn’t agree more. I don’t have the answers on how to make the creator economy sustainable and less mentally taxing, but what I know is that we all need to detach ourselves from the constant noise of the online world—even if it’s just from time to time, even if we just make an active decision to put our phones away an hour before going to sleep.
Nowadays, I carve out an hour a week to schedule posts on my @kitchengemsworld account. It’s enough for me to stay engaged without getting sucked into the ether of the internet. I’ve also slowed down on posting and scrolling on TikTok, and I feel much better about it. We don’t need to save, screenshot, read, and share everything online. What we need are new hobbies and to touch some f*cking grass.
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