Why You Won’t Find Social Here (Anti Social Media)

Hey there! This article was written to disclose the reasons Broken to Blessed will not be participating in social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. I’m hoping that by sharing this, it helps you understand my own personal struggles with social media, the intentions behind this website, and my mission.

In typical website fashion/etiquette, the top right hand corner (or sometimes footer) is reserved for those flashy little icons that people paste up for an easy follow. Or to “connect” with you away from home base, which is a not-so-sneaky way to advertise to you.

Anyone who’s spent even a fraction of time on the internet knows this. Because EVERY business and their mom participates in social media. You won’t find those here, but why? “Why cant I follow you on social media Randi, why can’t we be friends?” you may ask.

Well, to be perfectly honest with you, there are a number of very good reasons. Maybe three actual good reasons and one analogy, but good reasons no less. So if you feel like hearing ’em, read on below.

Why I’m Anti-Social Media + Some Reasons

Let’s be blunt while also being polite: not a fan of social media.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met someone and if things “click”, they’re already giving me their handle and asking for a follow, to an account where they only post awkward pictures of themselves with various beauty filters and one-word captions with too many emojis.

9 times out of 10, there’s absolutely zero interaction past the follow.

This causes a few things to happen in my brain, none of which are truly positive. Because social media, no matter the platform, is like one big mental battle ground on which I always lose. It always becomes unhealthy for me. It always becomes an addiction. And it always ends with me feeling very depressed and lonely.

If social media was a pool, I’d be the kid with a floaty that has a hole in it– only I wouldn’t notice until I’m up to my neck in the deep end and everyone around me is too distracted taking selfies to help me.

I don’t enjoy sacrificing my time to keep people “engaged”, trying to convince others to follow me, or posting meaningless fluff just to stay in the algorithm. But it’s a slippery slope, because when you see the follower count go up, when someone double taps your post, or you get a comment emoji, that dopamine hit keeps you coming back for more.

Sacrificing your real life for the invisible audience. Slowly sinking to a watery death. Dramatic? Yes. True though? You betcha.

Reason number one: Social media interferes with my mental health and personal recovery.

Here’s the Thing

Also, to start a social media account would mean that I would have to dedicate a portion of my time to nurture it, just as I do with all of my household pothos plants. I like to water and prune and speak encouraging words to my plants, but you see, my plants are a great analogy for my life.

Right now, I can see one of my favorite plants by the window. It’s a Jessenia Pothos. A common houseplant, but with gorgeous marbled green leaves that spill over the sides of its container.

I like to line my beautiful potted plants like maidens in a row, weaving white lights through them for dramatic effect. This makes me happy year-round, but especially during the dreary winter months they help combat seasonal depression.

But in the before times, when I was spending way too much time stretching myself thin with social media, my plants would die. I would keep buying more, hoping that I could crack the code on keeping a houseplant alive for longer than 31 days. But alas, no sooner had I potted one than it completely shriveled up and died a slow horrible death because I forgot to water it more than one time.

It’s little things like this that remind me to stay off of social media.

I want my plants to grow, literally and figuratively speaking. I want to enjoy my home life as much as humanly possible, nurturing the best parts of it that don’t involve a screen.  And I need to be spending my time in the Bible instead of trying to be a social media “influencer” or competing for your attention in our modern age version of the Colosseum.

The devil is a lion and he will devour you for entertainment purposes.

Reason number two: social media takes away from experiencing real life.

Bottom Line

I also know that each moment that I spend on platforms is a moment I’m not spending with my family.

Having your face glued to a phone is a sure-fire way to dissolve a marriage…quickly. According to statistics I just made up in my head, over 100% of marriages struggle with intimacy when one or both partners spend more time on their phone than with their spouse.

You can fact check me on that, but I tell you verily.

I have three kids. Two legal adults (though they enjoy it on occasion when I treat them like children and pick up the tab at Starbucks). I also have a son that’s teetering on the edge of teenagedom. This means that my time with them is precious. And I’d much rather be doing a 1000 piece puzzle, running the risk of dysentery on the Oregon Trail, or buying overpriced coffee with them than trying to “engage” an audience that has the attention span of a chipmunk.

Reason number three: the well-being of my marriage, children, and family life are more important to me than social. #sorrynotsorry

What Happens Next

I hope this makes sense. And I hope you understand.

Rest assured, please know that every piece of content on Broken to Blessed has been written with a purpose, nurtured and pruned just as I would with my pothos. And I’m thankful for you dear reader, for any time that you’ve spent reading it.

Because the time I donate to this is valuable time, as is yours. Time I’m trading because I believe in the cause. And I want you to know that I never want to try to get your attention just for the sake of getting your attention. I pray that this is not time wasted for either of us.

Lastly, I’m a big believer in God’s will and divine timing. If it’s HIS desire for this to grow, God’s going to make it happen, whether I’m posting on social or not.

For now, if you feel compelled to engage with the blog, please post a comment to start a conversation on one of my posts (like this one), subscribe to the mailing list, or listen to the podcast (launching January 1st 2024).

Just please, don’t make me kill my plants.

Are You Struggling with Social Media?

If you’re struggling with social media, please check out the following articles: 5 Practical Tips to Break Phone Addiction Now, What Kids Really Think About Their Parents Smartphone Addiction, Did You Know You Have 3 Enemies When Battling Addiction?

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You can also help me out and SHARE a podcast episode or a blog on social if you think it will benefit someone else (and it won’t trigger you like it would me).

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