Nadine J Walters – My Life

My Question for today: How much time am I spending on social media, particularly Instagram, every day? And what is the result?

My answer: Too much time. The result? A very definite technology hangover.

Just this afternoon, I tuned into Instagram and got lost for two solid hours. I keep the app on my phone because I enjoy following some artists, but I find that the bulk of my time is spent mindlessly scrolling through reels. I don’t recall having this issue until reels became such a dominant feature.

Most of my scrolling time is spent watching reels that either showcase people at their worst or, conversely, at their most exaggerated best—which often comes across as ridiculous. I realize this sounds judgmental, but the truth is, I’m the one consuming the content.

Spending so much of my free time scrolling takes away from activities I truly value, like reading, writing, and painting. I’m working on reducing clutter in my life, and while I do well with managing physical clutter, it’s the mental clutter that trips me up. Social media drains me; it makes me feel inadequate and often leaves me with a sense of hopelessness. I need to make a change.

As an artist, I sometimes think I should be promoting myself on social media. But the reality is, I don’t. I don’t even spend much time looking at other artists’ work. I manage my time well on YouTube and Facebook because I participate in groups that align with my learning goals. But Instagram? That app is a rabbit hole filled with algorithmic gremlins that lead me down endless alleys and never let me escape. Help!

But I have a plan, and hopefully, it’s one I can stick to. I’ve been fairly consistent with my Instagram posting because of my 100-day challenge, so maybe a structured goal is the key. And since I don’t really use Instagram for anything personal, why not just delete it from my phone? DONE! I feel so empowered.

The next step is to track the minutes I spend mindlessly consuming other social media. I plan to keep a log in my planner of what I watch on YouTube, though I’m not too concerned about Facebook since I only use it for my groups. So here it is—another 100-day project. I already have my 100 Days of Writing and my 100 Days of Painting/Drawing Faces. Now, I’m adding my 100 Days of Selective, Purposeful Social Media Use.

To stay accountable, I’ll report my stats here once a week. I’m excited to see what I can accomplish when I’m not losing two-plus hours a day to the scrolling gremlins. Here’s to reclaiming my time, my focus, and my creativity!