It’s been a few years now since I’ve stopped using social media. I do still use YouTube (mostly for fun and research) and Pinterest (mostly for business and research). But I consider those to be search engines more than social media sites.

My reasons for disconnecting from social media are varied. But one thing I can say is that not using social media has benefited my self-discovery journey by helping me live more authentically. As a result, I find it to be a very useful self-discovery technique.

Even though I don’t use social media, I know how curated the content there is. I know people have a tendency to focus only on the beautiful, glamorous sides of their life and pay little attention to real struggles. And I know that, with all the competition there is and all the drive to get more followers, likes, and views, it can be hard to actually let your authentic self shine through.

One of the main goals of a self-discovery journey is to live more authentically. And as I think about how much more authentic I feel without using social media, I’ve come up with a few reasons why this is the case. In this post, I’m sharing them with you.

4 Reasons Disconnecting from Social Media Can Help You Be More Authentic

1. You’re not constantly following trend after trend.

   Trends are a big thing in the online world. Because I’m not on social media, I’m not always up-to-date on the latest trends. And so I do sometimes find myself a little lost or confused when people make reference to certain things I’ve never heard of. But this is a small price to pay for the freedom I get to not be influenced by trends.
   
   When you’re constantly riding trend waves, you’re not taking the time to discover your own interests. For instance, instead of investing time to learn about what you want to learn about, you find yourself being drawn to whatever craze everyone else is interested in.
   
   Of course, there’s nothing wrong with riding a trend wave or two. But disconnecting from social media can give you more freedom to discover new things that you really enjoy and that are a more authentic expression of who you are.

2. You’re not constantly bombarded by images of other people’s idea of an ideal life.

   Everyone has their own idea of what makes up an ideal life. For some, travel has to be involved. For others, it’s the freedom to work from anywhere in the world. For some, it’s the freedom to work on their own schedule. And for others, it’s enough to just have time to spend with loved ones and enjoy some simple pleasures.
   
   On social media, people are constantly sharing their own idea of an ideal life, even if it’s only their opinion. But only you know what an ideal life looks like for you. Even so, you might get confused about what would make up your dream life when you’re constantly seeing images that represent other people’s idea of one.
   
   For instance, if you’re always seeing pictures of people traveling to exotic locations, you might start to believe that’s something you require to live a life that’s fulfilling to you. And so, you might try to figure out how you can incorporate more trips like that into your life.
   
   But when you take a step back, you might realize that you don’t actually like to travel. You might even be someone who prefers to stay at home and travel to faraway locations in books. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
   
   Your ideal life is your ideal life. When you disconnect from social media, you have the opportunity to consider and explore what you actually want your life to look like. And it doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s idea of a dream life.
   
   While it’s true that seeing other people’s ideas can expose you to new possibilities, it’s essential that you do your own self-discovery work to find out whether those possibilities are actually things that you enjoy. Too much exposure to other people’s ideals can make you forget what matters to you.

3. You have more time to spend with just you.

   Although you might tend to use social media while you’re on your own, you’re still connecting with other people every time you use it. True, you’re doing it online, which means it’s a virtual connection. But you’re still allowing yourself to be influenced by an endless stream of other people’s thoughts and opinions. And all the time you’re spending connecting to other people through social media is time you’re not spending by yourself.
   
   If you choose to disconnect from social media, you can use the time you’ve freed up to spend more time with just you. This is how you get to know yourself better—your likes and dislikes, your passions and interests, your values and priorities. This is what a journey of self-discovery is all about.
   
   So, what can you do with all this free time? You can journal. You can exercise. You can take up a hobby. You can read something, not because someone told you to read it, but because you came across it somehow and decided to read it.
   
   Doing these things allows you to discover who you truly are. And learning who you are is the whole point of a self-discovery journey.

4. You find your own voice.

   When you’re constantly being influenced by other people’s words and ideas, it can be very hard for you to find and develop your own voice. You need distance from all the noise for that. But social media is full of noise. People are constantly sharing and repeating what other people have shared. There’s little room for self-discovery or authenticity in that.
   
   To be authentic, it’s essential that you have time to hear yourself think. While it is true that, when you read, you’re taking in other people’s thoughts in their own words, the effect is different from the effect of receiving information through social media.
   
   When you’re reading a book, for instance, you have time and space to pause and ponder and reflect. Social media is like a never-ending barrage of information, and everyone wants you to pay attention to them. Social media doesn’t encourage pondering or reflecting. It’s all about scrolling and consuming more and more.
   
   With a book, though, you can take a moment to reflect on what you’ve read without feeling the need to keep scrolling or clicking. And this reflecting is what will allow you to form your own ideas about things. And when you form your own ideas and find unique ways to express them, you find your own voice.

What to Take Away

Social media can be a huge distraction in this modern world, especially for people who are on a journey to discover their true self. If you find yourself struggling in this way, you might want to consider disconnecting from social media for a while. And if you do, you might just find out what a powerful self-discovery technique it is.

You don’t have to disconnect forever, unless you want to. But you might want to take a break to find your own interests and rediscover your own voice. And then, if you want to go back, you’ll have something new to contribute, rather than just repeating the same thoughts and opinions as everyone else. That’s what it means to be authentic.

~ Ashley C.

Last updated: December 17, 2024

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