The time has come…I can’t take social media anymore.
Okay, maybe I should back up and give you some context for this decision.
I’ve been on social media since middle school. Isn’t that crazy?
If you didn’t know, I’m currently 24 years old, meaning I’ve been on social media for 10+ years.
I still remember the day my mom finally let me make my own Facebook. We were visiting family in Sarasota; specifically, we were sitting in the kitchen at my aunt’s old house. I had been begging my mom for weeks to let me create a Facebook account, and I think she finally had enough of my whining.
Why did I want a Facebook so bad? Because it was all the rage, duh. If the most popular girls in school had Facebook, I could not live without one!
I can still remember my mom giving in to my annoying begging (love you, mom!), and we made my profile in my aunt’s kitchen. Funny enough, my Facebook account is still attached to the email I made when I was 11. I thought bbstar98 was the coolest email ever.
Soon after my Facebook success, the need to create profiles on Instagram, Twitter, or any other popular social media platform set in.
Wasting My Years Away
As the iPhone changed faster than a teenager going through puberty, it became hard to keep up with the changes in technology and social media.
Plus, when my attention wasn’t fixed on being in school or playing basketball, it was set on social media. My love for reading went out the window, and the need to have the most likes on my posts skyrocketed.
Do you want to know something I’ve never told anyone before?
I used to make fake accounts to like my posts on social media – specifically on Instagram.
Isn’t that so sad? The desire to be liked was so great that I would go out of my way to make myself seem more “liked” than I “was.”
Slowly (and I mean very slowly), the desire to be liked has lessened, but discontentment has been left in its wake.
I no longer experience the excitement of interacting with my friends on social media or showing everyone what I’m up to. So even though social media can be an excellent tool – stay connected with social media or old friends or grow your business – I can’t take it anymore.
The noise and distractions have become so loud that I can’t. Take. It. Anymore. Even more so, I don’t want to add to the noise or distractions anymore.
I may sound a little dramatic, and that’s okay if I do. But, at some point, we all will come to terms with our social media usage and how it’s shaping our lives (at least, I hope).
In my YouTube video about this topic (you can watch it here), I shared a quote that made me think twice about my social media usage:
“There are books to be read; landscapes to be walked; friends to be with; life to be fully lived…This new epidemic of distraction is our civilization’s specific weakness. And it’s threat is not so much to our minds, even as they shape-shift under the pressure. The threat is to our souls. At this rate, if the noise does not relent, we might even forget we have any.”
“I Used to Be a Human Being” by Andrew Sullivan
I’ve found that I haven’t truly been living from behind all my screens. I’ve missed countless opportunities to read new books, explore new places, spend time with friends, and even enjoy the magic of a moment because I’m too sucked into the noise and distraction.
Spending time physically and mentally present in this world, rather than viewing it through a screen, has become beyond important to me.
THIS IS NOT THE END OF CLOSE TO CREATION!
With all that being said, you may think this is the time when I’m going to say that Close to Creation is getting shut down. NOPE. NADA. NOT TODAY!
I’m making a few changes to how I deliver content, but Close to Creation is here to say. Honestly, I’m as on fire for this mission as ever!
What’s the mission, again? To inspire people to connect with God and His creation.
How am I going to do that with little to no social media? Thanks for asking!
YouTube
The one type of social media I’ll be keeping is YouTube. For me, YouTube is a place where I can be more intentional with the content I create. On my channel, you’ll find a new series called “Explore the Word,” where we get to sit down and explore the Bible together. Specifically, we’ll look at passages that use creation/nature to teach us something.
Watch the first Explore the Word here!
I will also continue my “Explore the World” videos, where I get to bring you along on my cross-country adventures.
There will be a new YouTube video EVERY WEDNESDAY!
Closetocreation.com/Blog
Another area I’m going to be pouring into for Close to Creation is going to be this website! Over the next couple of months, I will be re-building this website to help it reflect C2C’s mission. Of course, I’m excited to continue to share travel guides and nature devotionals with you, but I’m also super excited about the new content I’ll be putting out.
I don’t want to spoil too much, but here’s a hint: these posts will help you start your own close to creation journey.
Just like YouTube, there will be a new post EVERY WEDNESDAY!
Newsletter
Last but not least, we have the weekly newsletter.
This will be a space where I get to update you on everything going on in my life and the Close to Creation space. Whether it’s a funny hiking story, rv life/renovation update, favorite pictures of the week, or a recap of youtube/blog content, this newsletter will be a fun way to end your work week every Friday!
Yup, you read that right: the weekly newsletter will go out EVERY FRIDAY! What a way to kick-start the weekend, right?
PLUS, when you sign up for the newsletter, you will get the FREE Close to Creation Beginner’s Guide! In this guide, I dive into what Close to Creation actually means and give simple tips to start your own journey!
Sign up for the newsletter here or scroll to the bottom and insert your information!
I’M SO EXCITED – I JUST CAN’T HIDE IT
This is the level of excitement I’m at for everything happening in the Close to Creation space. And I hope you feel the same!
Honestly, posting about this has been a breath of fresh air. I’ve been ready to delete these accounts for weeks, but I’ve been holding off on posting about it on social so that I could prepare this post and my YouTube video.
I’m ready.
I’m ready to let go of something that’s been holding me captive for so long.
Here’s to the next chapter, friend.
