Roadblocks are everywhere and social media is no exception. Many times good things and especially neutral things can become bad things. The average amount of time spent on social media in 2022 has grown to 2 hours and 27 minutes per day. Let’s be honest with each other. How much of that time is productive? Yeah. My thoughts exactly. If we’re not careful, social media can become a roadblock in life. Social media, while at it’s core is just a tool, is powerful enough to affect our attitude and decisions, even going as far as becoming a trigger to addictive, compulsive, or dangerous behavior.
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Social Media Could be a Roadblock in Your Life
This is a safe place.
It’s just you and me being real.
How much time are you on social media?
Are you the average social media user at 2 hours and 27 minutes per day?
Whether over or under, we must recognize social media use has become a significant part of our lives.
Many of us check social media the moment we wake up.
Social media has often the glasses we put on each day, viewing the world and our own lives through the social media lens.
And make no mistake, social media is far from clear and accurate.
A Unique Blend of Truth and Lies
Each social media platform contains a unique blend of truth and lies. At best, what we experience is a transparent interaction with another human being. At worst, it’s a cesspool of deceit, envy, greed, and selfishness.
It’s even been reported that for many years, while we are more connected to other people than ever, we are also facing unprecedented levels of loneliness and isolation.
We have exchanged true relationships with window shopping, feeling like we know what someone is up to by looking at them rather than knowing them.
Or we have created toxic habits of who we connect with and why that undermines our most precious goals and desires.
Like any roadblock in life, social media can go from useful to harmful without us even realizing it.
The Signs of a Social Media Roadblock in Your Life
Roadblocks in life can be hard to see but they are visible with a little examination.
How does your use of social media compare with these statements?
- While initially excited to enter a social media platform, I feel worse off or deflated when I exit.
- I struggle to resist social media when I should be focusing on other things like work, family, or in-person friendships.
- My daily worth or value rides the roller coaster of social media engagement, with highs and lows in direct correlation with comments, likes, and connection counts.
- I didn’t know how little money, fun, or friendships I had until I saw other people’s lives on social media.
- I feel like deactivating or deleting social media would be a healthy change in my life.
- I used to use social media intentionally to grow my network, influence, or business but now use it as a getaway.
- I don’t want people to know what I really use social media for.
- My life was better before getting on ____________ social media platform.
- If I could be more like people I see on social media, my life would be much better.
- Social media helps me cope with stress and worry during my day.
- Social media is my escape.
- Virtual friends are just as good as in-person friends.
I bet some of those statements hit you pretty hard.
But that’s a good thing. It means your heart is sensitive to correction and change.
It’s an indicator that you have a growth mindset.
But what do we do when social media use has become a roadblock that holds us back from better things?
Shock and Awe
Shock and awe is a military strategy based on rapid dominance.
It combines overwhelming force and incredibly strategic action that moves so quickly the enemy’s head is left spinning…literally and figuratively.
When we identify a roadblock in our life like social media, a wonderful technique to use is shock and awe.
Let me illustrate.
For over 5 years, I methodically grew my social media presence on all applicable platforms that would benefit me professionally and personally.
I wasn’t a casual user.
I had a plan and I implemented that plan over and over and over again. I researched best practices on each platform individually, set those best practices in motion, and automated them wherever possible.
My influence grew actively and passively, driving friendships, business opportunities, and income.
Over time, as you probably guessed, my focus on healthy social media use began to get blurry.
What once was a driving force to achieve my goals became a roadblock in my life, distracting me from being a loving spouse, an engaged parent, and a dutiful worker.
My message got messy and social media was preventing me from being not just who God made me to be, but from becoming more than I was.
I was falling backwards with distraction and temptation.
Each time I logged in and managed my 30,000+ connections across multiple social media platforms, I was frequently triggered to choose unhealthy ways of coping and dealing with stress, boredom, and anxiety.
Social media became an escape, but not a healthy getaway. It dulled my senses and distracted me from producing powerful, helpful content.
Something had to give and in one moment I chose a healthier marriage and more involved parenting over my digital presence.
It was truly, shock and awe.
Within two days, I had permanently erased my social media footprint.
Every connection.
Every request.
Every piece of dialogue.
But also every roadblock.
Every distraction.
Every trigger.
It wasn’t easy. Trust me. It was a hard trigger to pull.
But I can honestly tell you I haven’t really missed it.
Time passes more intentionally.
I’m not as envious.
Not as triggered.
And far more engaged with in-person relationships.
I also became more focused in my work.
My writing.
My health.
My fitness.
You may be thinking total deletion is too extreme and you don’t need to shock and awe the social media roadblock in your life.
That might be fine for you.
Even if social media doesn’t seem like a roadblock to you, some people choose to temporarily deactivate their accounts to bring about change.
It’s a bit more gentle in nature and you won’t feel the sting of permanent loss.
But, if you find pausing social media helps you breakthrough in life and grow in new areas, you may just want to return to this idea.
Your work, your family, your friends, and your own well-being will thank you.
You are now equipped in knowing if social media has become a roadblock in your life.
And that puts you in a very powerful position for growth.
Now is the time to make some changes. Block some accounts. Limit your use. And be more intentional.
If this content spoke to you, consider doing these 3 things:
- Leave a comment below and tell me how social media affects you and if you’ve ever paused or erased your digital presence. Someone might be encouraged to follow in your footsteps if you share your story.
- Subscribe to my newsletter so you get more content just like this delivered right to you. I hate spam too, so I’ve made my newsletter a 1-click unsubscribe at any time you change your mind. Encouragement and insight will be in your inbox for FREE!
- Share this message with your social network (if you’re still on some!), friends, or family. Sometimes just a small idea can make big changes.
