Aside

Social Media Burnout

I have nothing to blog about - The Anti-Social MediaYou know what really sucks?

Well, besides Facebook, but we all knew that.

Burnout.

I burned out hard on blogging. Everything else seemed more interesting. And I mean everything. That includes exercise and watching all nine season of Roseanne.

Who knew it would be impossible to sustain a comical rage for over two years?

So I took an unexpected break. A break that took way too long. Here’s a few things I did while on my break.

  • Watch all the seasons of a lot of crappy television from the 90s.
  • Worked at my job that pays the bills.
  • Started exercising.
  • Discovered that my kitty likes to sleep under the covers.
  • Gave up caffeine.
  • Started sleeping like a normal person.
  • Complained that I had nothing to do.

And once I started complaining that I had nothing to do, I knew something was wrong.

Then I went to an event. An event where I was the snarky jerk in the corner with my friends, complaining about every last detail. When they laughed, I remembered what I needed to do.

If someone doesn’t call out how perverted our socially connect internet is, then we’ve already lost.

I’m still not there 100% yet. There are things I’d rather be doing, like eating pizza, playing video games, and cuddling my kitty. Hell, I’d even prefer to exercise.

I’d rather be living my life off the screen, rather than playing up my every moment as another reason thousands of loosely connected people need to know why I am more awesome than you. I dot want to create digital memories that will be lost in a sea of data for some marketer to sell me some crap that was made in a Chinese sweatshop.

But, I’ve still got a bone to pick. And a cat video to upload. And a wedding to plan on Pinterest.

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23 Responses to Social Media Burnout

  1. Sukhraj Beasla February 20, 2012 at 8:21 am #

    More power to you and welcome back :)

    • Jay February 20, 2012 at 9:02 am #

      Glad to be back. With a vengeance!

  2. Jan Minihane (@JanMinihane) February 20, 2012 at 9:23 am #

    It’s been a lonely place for the last few weeks without your cutting wit, welcome back, you have been missed!

    I think we all need to take a break from the online onslaught once in a while, the amount of information we consume nowadays is insane, I go through ‘quiet periods’ where if I don’t have anything of value to say, I stay away and my blogging has really suffered over the last 3 months while I’ve been redesigning my website. Hope to get back on it soon!

    Happy pinning ;-)

    • Jay February 20, 2012 at 9:58 am #

      I love pinning. My “Things I hate” board needs more stuff on it.

  3. Toaden February 20, 2012 at 9:59 am #

    I love crappy 90s sitcoms, I’m working my wat back through Parker Lewis Can’t lose, and I just reliazed it has been almost a week since my last google + hangout.

    • Jay February 20, 2012 at 2:27 pm #

      I realized I never did a follow up to my hangout. Maybe I should do another.

  4. Camilo Olea February 20, 2012 at 10:12 am #

    Welcome back! Snarky dudes and cat videos are what the internet is all about.

    I’ve also noticed that If one cuts back from internet usage one can do other stuff. Weird, huh?

    • Jay February 20, 2012 at 2:26 pm #

      Crazy talk!

  5. Silvia February 20, 2012 at 10:57 am #

    I love your blog! Just recently started reading it and it has been great to read what you have to say about what people now think is the only way we can connect.

    I specially love your posts about unfriending and taking a break from social networks, hope to see more of that type soon!

    • Jay February 20, 2012 at 2:26 pm #

      And my blog loves you. Internet hugs!

  6. Claire Wagner February 20, 2012 at 12:25 pm #

    There needs to be an emoticon for “I feel the same way.” I am going on vacation and I will not miss Facebook after four months of doing it on a professional basis, not just as a volunteer or individual. It has gotten boring. So boring, in fact, that I actually joined Pinterest and the new Social Media Examiner social clubs, both of which were probably a HUGE mistake. And blogging has suffered, too. Maybe I can get my social media mojo back in Hawaii, Or not.

    • Jay February 20, 2012 at 2:26 pm #

      I want to get my mojo back in Hawaii. Actually, I just want to get to Hawaii.

  7. Lisa February 20, 2012 at 2:02 pm #

    Seriously ou gave up coffee? I beg you to drink coffee again!!

    • Jay February 20, 2012 at 2:25 pm #

      Nope. It’s gone. I don’t miss it. I sleep better. I feel more alert all day long. And I don’t feel like asocial media tweaker.

  8. Suzy Oge February 20, 2012 at 4:11 pm #

    Getting “back together” with your blog can be spectacular…kinda like make up sex;-) What kind of exercise have you gotten into? This is why you feel energetic & fab and it is the best break from too much screen time too! Congrats & keep it up!

    • Jay February 20, 2012 at 8:38 pm #

      I prefer to keep my sex life separate from my blog.

      I’ve been using the program at simplefit.org along with a lot of running. And kitty cuddles.

  9. ConfessionsMom February 21, 2012 at 4:05 pm #

    It would take a lot, and I mean A LOT to prefer exercise! My cats drive me nuts, but I still tend to hold and pet them. I have found recently that reading books for enjoyment, not just blog posts and work related reading and business books, helps make me a better blogger. It’s like finding my mojo one unrelated, delicious page at a time. No Rosanne for me though. Although my DH and I recently had a conversation about “The Simpsons” being on for 22 years or some crazy number. I had to remind him that when it was new back then and the jokes hadn’t been done (and we were younger and dumber) we thought it was clever. Go ahead and watch Rosanne. I peeked at the new Beavis and Butthead…but I’m all about confessions. Peace.

    • Jay February 21, 2012 at 6:00 pm #

      All it took for me to prefer exercise were the days my eyes fell out from staring at screens all day long.

  10. Rommel February 22, 2012 at 4:49 pm #

    Jay, dude, you were gone for barely twenty days and you make it sound like you spent 7 years in Tibet and came back enlightened. You are such a drama queen. :-p

    • Jay February 22, 2012 at 10:08 pm #

      In a word where a message lasts barely ten minutes, I have every right to act like the drama queen I am.

      • Rommel February 22, 2012 at 10:45 pm #

        Sure. Whatever you say, Brad.

  11. Carrie February 23, 2012 at 12:16 pm #

    Hey Roseanne’s a good show! I still watch the reruns whenever they come on.

    Welcome back Jay - I can’t say I agree with everything you say, but you do make me laugh.

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