ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB

On January 01, 2024, I decided to start building my online presence. Up until then, I had avoided sharing my ideas because I found the whole content creator thing mad cringey. I couldn’t deal with the silly dances, weird challenges, and constant self-promotion. But one day, I came across an insight that turned my whole life around.

The idea came from Adam Grant, who, in an interview with Jay Shetty, explained that instead of promoting yourself, which is an act of vanity, you should be promoting your ideas, which is an act of service.

My mind was blown. It turns out the best self-promoters aren’t self-promoters at all. They’re people dying to help.

I was sold.

Around the same time, Threads, Meta’s new text-based social media platform, started making waves. Growing up, way before Elon took over and things got weird, I was a huge Twitter fan. It was my micro blog, a digital diary, and the perfect way to stay connected with friends. Threads seemed to offer a similar experience, but without the negativity, noise, and racism that had taken over Twitter. With Adam’s advice in mind, I dove in head first into Threads and started promoting my ideas freely, unaware of the challenges that lay ahead.

The Dark Side of Social Media

My growth on Threads this past year has been incredible. My thoughts reached over 20 million people. I had the opportunity to work with notable brands in the content space and I even started making some digital cash. However, I also experienced the dark side of social media. I fell victim to endless comparison, the need for validation, and was crushed by the pressure to present a perfect persona. It all took a huge toll on my mental health.

I also witnessed the manipulative nature of social media. People using people to get a few likes, lying and scheming to make a couple bucks, posting ridiculous claims and pumping out clickbait — all in a desperate effort to get one more follower, one more comment, one more hit of dopamine. It seemed like a constant race to the bottom, with no regard for authenticity, creativity, or genuine connection.

I fell in love with creating and publishing content, but started to despise the social media game. I thought, maybe social media is merely a reflection or amplification of human behavior. I guess the pursuit of fame leads some people to compromise their values and stretch their morals. Either way, this type of environment wasn’t aligned with my values or the type of energy I wanted to be around. I had to do something.

Taking Back My Life

My social media addiction coupled with my deep dissatisfaction with the manipulative tactics of other creators forced me to reevaluate my relationship with these platforms and approach to brand building. I deleted all apps from my phone, scheduled my content ahead of time, and only engaged from my laptop — with friends and ideas that inspired me. I also began to question my screen-time’s impact on my creativity, productivity, and mental health.

These questions led me to start the ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB.

Let me be clear: THE CLUB isn’t about hating on social media or completely unplugging. It’s more about taking a step back, slowing down, and re-evaluating our relationships with these platforms to find a more balanced approach that emphasizes authentic connections, meaningful work, and real-life experiences.

Digital Minimalism

The ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB was heavily inspired by Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism, which encourages us to intentionally reduce digital noise and tune into what truly matters. Cal’s philosophy helped me gain a deeper understanding of my relationship with technology, and equipped me with the tools and insights I needed to achieve a better screen-life balance. As a result, my focus, creativity, and mental health improved.

The Social Dilemma

By this point, the negative effects of social media have been drilled into us. We don’t need a book to tell us we need better screen-life balance. We know there is a strong correlation between high social media usage and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. So why are we still sitting there, losing ourselves in our screens?

“There are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’: illegal drugs and software.”
— Edward Tufte

This chilling quote perfectly captures the addictive nature of social media. These platforms are designed to keep us hooked. Features like infinite scrolling, likes, comments, and notifications trigger the release of dopamine in our brains, creating a feel-good sensation that keeps us coming back for more. Social media platforms are no different than some of the most addictive illegal drugs.

The Impact on Creativity

As a creative, I used to justify my social media use. I’d tell myself that I needed it for inspiration, learning, exposure to diverse perspectives and ideas, sharing my work, connecting with a wider audience, and growing my business.

Bullshit.

Social media wasn’t enriching my creativity; it was watering it down.

It was a constant distraction. The endless notifications and infinite content made it difficult to focus on my creative work.

Social media also created a constant pressure to conform. I felt like I had to chase every new trend and seekl validation, which often led to creative blocks. I stopped taking risks and exploring new ideas out of fear about what others would think and whether my work would please the algorithm. This fear of judgment stifled my creativity and diluted my truth.

I felt the creative energy leaking out of me, leaving me exhausted and unable to create. I experienced ego depletion, a state of mental exhaustion that impairs your ability to think creatively. The endless stream of content drained my cognitive resources. I was on the edge of burnout. The digital world had my creative spirit in a chokehold.

The Impact on Productivity

Social media also destroyed my productivity. It made me an even worse procrastinator. Whenever I faced a challenging task, I’d turn to social media as a form of escape, losing myself in the infinite sea of content. This cycle of procrastination and decreased productivity became a constant struggle, and a source of shame and negative self talk.

The Impact on Business

I knew I needed to quit, but I kept worrying about my brand, business, and goals.

As a copywriter and strategist, I’ll be the first to admit it: the benefits of social media for businesses are incredible. Social media can be a cost-effective way to drive traffic, generate leads, and increase sales. Social media can also help brands reach a wider audience, build brand awareness and customer loyalty, which ultimately increases customer satisfaction and repeat business. 

Despite its benefits, social media also presents unique challenges, especially for solopreneurs and small businesses. Keeping up with the ever-evolving platforms, features, and trends can be overwhelming. This dynamic landscape makes it difficult to stay current and create quality content while also managing all the other aspects of running a business (and a healthy personal life).

The demands of social media can also lead to feelings of isolation. In my pursuit of social media growth, I found myself neglecting real-life relationships. Instead of calling my family or meeting friends for coffee, I’d spend my time engaging, drafting posts, and obsessing over metrics. This constant focus on the digital world left me feeling disconnected from the people I cared about the most. Sure, my numbers grew, but so did my loneliness.

My Social Media Detox

So I took a break. I deleted the apps, adjusted my strategy, and updated my systems. To my surprise, my audience kept growing, the money kept coming, and my well-being improved dramatically. I felt less anxious and more focused, my sleep improved, and I had more time to see friends and family. I picked up new hobbies and reconnected with old ones. My curiosity and creativity were reawakened, and my productivity peaked. I had been reborn.

Introducing the ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB

The ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB is not about rejecting social media or completely unplugging from technology. Instead, we’re a community of ambitious creatives who want a healthier relationship with technology, crave more intentionality in our lives, and give a damn about our personal and creative development. At THE CLUB, we prioritize genuine connections, creating remarkable work, and finding joy in real-life experiences.

I don’t claim to have the answers. But my hope is to use my platform to start important conversations, foster a sense of community, and amplify creative voices that often get drowned in the algorithmic noise. By embracing a more intentional relationship with our technology, exploring alternative ways to connect, and deepening our creative practice, we can reclaim our time and attention, and build a business and life we truly love.

Join the ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB and receive insights, tools, and resources to help you build a thriving audience, business, and life without becoming a slave to social media algorithms.