Using social media is plainly pointless, I deleted my Twitter account recently and it was one of the greatest thing I ever did. My digital existence was wiped, in a few swipes and clicks I was able to exercise a digital white wash by removing myself from the great hive of information that is Twitter. Since wiping myself I’ve seen a drastic change, now I have more time to complete tasks that were previously sent to the wayside; I’ve read books and consumed valuable life-changing information that Twitter lacks.

So why did I do it, why leave my Twitter account which was dominated by MMA content ?

MMA Twitter Monopolises Like & RTs:

There’s a weird theme on MMA Twitter of people begging for likes and retweets, but why, what benefit does these pointless swipes and taps have on your content have ? I think people are deeply narcissistic but aren’t aware of this deep underlying narcissism. It’s like the Earths tectonics plates; constantly there and active but never thought of, and they have devastating impacts. People must feel empty and seek validation on Twitter to satisfy their narcism, people want to get the most likes, the most RTs and noticed by the accounts of verified people. So this quest for validation forces people to virtue-signal (About things they don’t care about) and produce content all in the name of digital popularity, which is deeply sad. We have a bunch of lonely people taking to Twitter for likes and RTs just so they can feel validated. This is even sadder issue when you factor in the fact that people are stealing content just for Likes & RTs; most of the popular content on Twitter is just stolen and reposted from others. To see people post just to get attention is one of the main reasons I left, I hated seeing all this generic content.

Most People Are Catfishes

Ever think about those you interact with on a regular basis ? What if they’re not who they claim to be, because Twitter is just text it allows people to act and troll, they do and say things they’d never do in real life. You’re seeing a fake version of this person all in the name of popularity. It’s a bit like Carl Jung’s hypothesis that humans have a darker shadow side that’s not exhibited regularly, Twitter gives a platform to the shadow side of the psyche; you’re not seeing the true nature of people. Just think about the number of people who aren’t who they claim to be or are evil (Think of Iann Kidd). You’re wasting your life talking to these weirdos…

Digital Interaction Is Unhealthy, Addictive & Depressing.

This idea that interacting online is just a new form of communication and is as healthy as face to face communication, isn’t true. Multiple neurologists have disputed the idea that social media is healthy. The brain has been developing for 50 million years and isn’t ready to cope with the effects of social media. There’s a thing known as VTA (Ventral Tegmental Area), it’s a part of the brain which monitors social interaction and based on your interactions it releases dopamine (Which makes you feel good). Without going into the nitty gritty of neuroscience. It’s evident that social media plays absolute havoc with your brains VTA and that long-term social media exposure is both addictive and depressing.

These were the main reasons I quit and since quitting I’ve had so much free time. I’ve been able to reinvest this previously lost time on fun things like reading, writing and talking and getting to know people in public. Before I sat on the train glued to my phone; now I’m getting to make actual acquaintances with real people instead of digital ones.