For most of us spending less time on social media is on our
list of new year resolutions. And this year, many people in tech have been
tweeting about taking a break from their screens to engage in new hobbies and
focus on building personal relationships.
Twitter and Facebook have been flooding with posts from
thousands of people who are saying that they will either delete their accounts
or take a break from social media for some time. Users have also been suggesting
other people do the same.
New Year's resolution: Get off social media and into my community. Let the trolls scream at each other, I'm choosing reality, humanity.— Captain Haggerty (@AngelaHaggerty) December 27, 2016
Many people have said that social media is a distraction from ‘more important’ things like connecting with people in real life and pursuing their hobbies.
2020-— 🚠Dr. SkiDance🚠 (@MLGSundance) December 31, 2019
Less social media
More building
Focus on mental and bodily health for myself and my loved ones
Change the game again
Be a better listener
Ski a little less but give back a lot more
Love my family
Beat @msepso in Tekken 1 more time
Drop mic move on to my next thing
Interestingly, some of the most popular posts were made by
people who work in tech. And well who wouldn’t need a break after spending long hours
in front of a screen at work.
According to a source, Google’s ex-director of engineering
Ankit Jain has said that he will cut his time on twitter and Netflix and pick
up a saxophone in 2020. He said that it was a Christmas gift from his wife and would
spark his passion for music. He further added that while working in tech was
great, his life got busier and he spent less time focusing on himself and his
passions.
Others from tech said that they want to take a break for the
sake of their emotional health or to cut off from the opinions of strangers on
different social platforms.
Co-founder of the fitness-tech company Nate Bosshard has said
that taking a break from tech is a “luxury” and people want to be offline now
more than ever.
“People in Silicon Valley are the architects of this ‘scrolling,
constant notifications’ culture and they’re the ones who are seeing the need
to escape the most,” Bosshard added.
Studies have shown that excessive use of social media can
lead to stress, anxiety and even depression among teens and adults alike. Plus,
given that it can be a huge distraction, taking a break for some time or even
forever could help people reconnect with themselves and the things they
prioritize the most.
