I {heart} blogging.  It is the first “hobby” I have ever really had. But, I’m a newbie.  My friend Stef and I jokingly call ourselves preschool bloggers.  I have so much to learn.  Maybe someday, I’ll feel ready to move up to kindergarten.  After all, they say all you ever really need to know you learn in kindergarten. Here are a few things I learned recently about Social Media.

Recently, I voluntarily turned off social media for one week.  As a natural communicator, my habit is to check Facebook and Twitter frequently throughout the day.  As a blogger,  these platforms are vital for connecting with you and others who follow 29lincolnavenue or MODsquad BlogAfter 7 days of social media silence, here is what I learned:

  1. You will not be missed:  I did not tell anyone (except my husband) that I was taking a break.  I average about 20 tweets every day and scan Facebook and comment consistently on a normal week.  Not one person noticed my absence. As humbling as this is, I realized that I am only one of millions adding to the constant conversation.
  2. You will miss something:  I was disappointed to learn I missed a Twitter party hosted by one of my favorite blogs.  I missed vital information about a large blogging conference I was unable to attend.  But more importantly, I missed family updates regarding the health of a loved one. My family assumed I was online. They did not think to call because social media has changed the way we communicate.
  3. Your Facebook friends are not the same as your Twitter followers: Facebook is about connecting with the people I  know. Twitter benefits me in other ways.  It allows me to follow and meet people I would not have the chance to meet in the real life.  Yes, a stay at home mom like me can follow @michaelhyatt (who also follows me)  and others who can help me grow my skills. Real community grows in both places, although in different ways.
  4. You only have so much creative time: I am a busy mom of four girls. It is essential that I maximize my time so that I can write consistently.  Social media can be a distraction for me.  I realized during this break, it is necessary for me to turn off Tweet Deck in order to have a creative edge.  This type of focus might just take my blog from good to great.
  5. You can’t substitute social media for your ongoing conversation with God: Social media is always on.  I was amazed during my break how often I was inclined to turn to it.  Instead, I prayed.  I listened.  I read.  After a few days, I could hear God more clearly because the noise in my life was turned way down.

I frequently hear the evils of social media being discussed.  I happen to love it and will continue to use both Facebook and Twitter.  My plan is to simply schedule intentional breaks daily, weekly, and monthly from the chatter.  This will hopefully create some margin in my life for listening and creativity.  What about you?  Have you ever taken a break from social media?  Did you miss it?  Did it miss you?  What did you learn?