The algorithm drew me in. I became one of the millions of victims of social media, an addict…the PRODUCT! Creepy, isn’t it..?!
People keep telling me that for the Finca I have to be online all the time, because that’s the world we live in. Especially in these times, where many people are online more I have to post more, reply faster, use more filters – in order to get more likes, more reach and more followers. Commenting, liking, sharing all these posts in order to grow our account. And the prettier your photo, the more likes you get. No matter how fake the photo is then, or what you’re actually writing about.
What is the ultimate goal?
Do people even read the captions, though? Most often I feel like they’re not. You’re just double-clicking, quickly, and then you scroll on. To consume more, see more, distract yourself more. To waste your time. It’s a distraction. A very intelligent tool, designed to keep our attention for as long as possible.
At the end of the day though, it’s a thief. It robs us of precious time, time that we could spent REALLY connecting with people, taking care of ourselves or doing something meaningful, something that makes us HAPPY.
I’ve spent way too much time scrolling through the feed, looking at other peoples lives… Most of them don’t even add value to my life, it’s nothing but… a bad habit. I can’t even count how many times I picked up my phone everyday. Or how many times I opened instagram in a day. Well, „luckily“ my phone does the counting for me. And you know what? It’s shocking. 5 hours of screen time per day?!
Where did my life go?
That’s why we have decided that we will drastically reduce our social media use. We also aim to share more relevant topics with you, which will create valuable content. Because we appreciate the time that you are spending with Finca Vegana online, and we want this time to give something back to you. Of course there will be a nice photo with little text here and there 😉
Also, we will keep on sharing unfiltered and authentic stories and insights into our life. No app, that makes everything picture perfect. Because our life is simply not.
Besides, we want to live by our values and spend more time doing what really makes us happy, when we are not working for the Finca. And that includes spending time outside in nature with Lenny, creating a wonderful permaculture garden, fitness, cooking wholesome meals and talking to friends more often instead of hanging out… here 🙂
Don’t get us wrong. There’s nothing wrong with using social media as a tool. A tool to find inspiration, knowledge and to connect with people. But it shouldn’t be misused to value your self-worth and it should also never make you feel bad.
If it does, it’s time to get out of there. Maybe do a digital detox, question your behavior on social media, recalibrate and refocus on what’s really important to you. And if you continue to use it, use it the way it should be used: As a tool. No more and no less.
That’s our grain of salt on this, anyway.
For more information on the topic of social media, we recommend the documentation The Social Dilemma or the associated facebook account @thesocialdilemma.
What are you thinking about right now? We would love to hear your thoughts on this!
How do you use social media? Have you ever questioned your behavior? How many hours a day do you spend on Facebook, Instagram & Co.? Please comment below.
«Nina»