Logging Off to Tune In: Goodbye, Social Media

Hey Girlfriend,

Lately, I have been wondering, is social media the downfall of personal growth and individuality?

I can’t speak for everyone, but when I was heavy on social media, I found myself consuming more than creating, comparing more than growing, and chasing trends instead of doing my own thing.

When I say consuming more than creating, I mean doomscrolling in an obsessive, excessive way that genuinely scared me. My first time on TikTok, I scrolled for four hours straight without looking up. I immediately deleted the app and vowed never to download it again.

That vow didn’t last long. When TikTok got banned, I promised my best friend that if it ever came back, I’d join the platform to talk about travel social work. And of course… TikTok was reinstated, so I had to follow through.

I joined in May 2025, and in three months I hit 10k followers. I truly enjoyed creating content and meeting other social workers—it felt like a little community that filled my cup daily. But eventually, I became too distracted by what everyone else was doing. I found myself doom-scrolling constantly, even at work.

Surprisingly, deactivating TikTok wasn’t hard at all. Instagram was gone after the wedding. Facebook disappeared after the honeymoon. Once I decided to be more present and focus on excelling in my career, I truly let social media go.

Everything I did and everywhere I went, I felt pressured to “get content.” I’m not saying that’s bad for everyone, but it didn’t feel good to me. I have old YouTube vlogs I now watch back amazed because I don’t remember any of it. Why? Because I was so focused on capturing moments that I wasn’t actually living them.

Being off social media, I sometimes feel disconnected from the world. I don’t understand the newest lingo, the hand gestures (why are we finger-thumb tapping??), or who the “it” couple of the month is. Thankfully, I check the news on my own, because otherwise I’d be completely out of the loop. Social media can be useful for staying updated—but it also overwhelmed me.

And that’s another reason I logged off. Every minute, every hour, every day there was something tragic, violent, shocking, or dramatic happening online. It was overstimulating. As an anxious girly, I constantly felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. Now, I take my news in small doses. I skim headlines, and if something interests me, I read the full article. I never watch graphic videos. Maybe I’m missing some things, but I know enough—and my peace matters more.

I didn’t think I would leave YouTube, but I had to let it go. The only “social media” I’m on is LinkedIn but I’ll probably let that go soon. It’s supposed to be a more professional space, but people use it like social media. Obviously, I don’t care for that at all.

Will I ever return to social media? I honestly don’t know. Being offline gives me so much peace and so much time to focus on myself and my goals. I’m also not comparing my life or my journey to anyone else’s. Some people balance social media beautifully—but I know I’m not one of those people.

Be honest, what are your thoughts on social media and how it affects our every day lives? I know I can’t be the only one who feels this way. Or maybe I am, haha!

Either way, let’s chat soon.

Love you, mean it.

Tass