I didn’t post on social media for 6 months, and here’s what happened…

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. 😱

My business didn’t fail (what?! you don’t have to post cringe thought leadership pieces on social to get clients?! no. you don’t.), my friendships didn’t fail (but did take a liiiittle more effort), and my self-worth didn’t increase or decrease. Now, on to the details.

• Why did I stop posting?
  Because I hate the grind of social media and it feels like we’re all just catering to our capitalist overlords and the algorithm, plus with the prevalence and rise of AI, I really didn’t want said overlords owning my intellectual property and personal memories.

• I DID continue to consume social media.
  I honestly like social media and the internet in its purest form. I miss Xanga and LiveJournal and old school chat forums. I spent my formative years on the internet connecting with people over shared interests (like The Killers and Fall Out Boy and Fruits Basket. Shout out to my Neopets guild.)
  
  So during the last six months I abandoned my Facebook, my primary Instagram account, and Twitter (what a hell hole of a platform, rip), and only logged on to my second Instagram account and tiktok, where I have carefully curated who I follow so that I’m only served k-pop, home diy and decor, and fantasy romance content. It’s the best and I highly recommend it.
  
  I’m no longer inundated by daily/hourly content of people I know in real life that has no connection to me at all (no hate, we just have different interests), I largely don’t see horrific world news and political swill (which doesn’t mean I’m ignoring it, I can just get my news elsewhere), and I can carve out at least one small piece of joy and happiness on my handheld lightbox.

• I do miss posting, kind of.
  What I really miss is having a Xanga in 2004. I miss when we all decorated our small corners of the internet is unhinged, joyful ways and forced people to listen to our emo and indie music as soon as the page loaded. Which is why I’m adding a blog to my website. I can post whatever I want, however I want, and then just blast it out on other platforms like a message in a bottle in the infinite void of the internet! Read my thoughts! Or don’t! Make your own blog without the goal of monetization or appeasing the algorithm! Share your weird lives with me and read about mine!

• But how do you stay connected with the 500 acquaintances that follow you?! It’s so hard to stay in touch!
  YAH IT IS. But guess what, the next time you run in to each other, you’ll have a boat load of stuff to catch up on. It’s amazing! You can just talk to people in real life! Wondering about that person you used to creep on? Get coffee with them instead of being a voyeur of their life. Or don’t! You actually don’t have to know everything about everyone! And if it’s meant to be, the universe will probably connect you again IRL someday. It’s going to be okay.

With that in mind, if you DO want to be friends on social, you can follow me at instagram.com/emstrick__ I’m going to start posting a little bit there, but mostly sending people here for the real ~~~content~~~~. 💅😌

peace and love, em