When is it time to end a hiatus?

Taken somewhere in Maine in 2016. Pentax ME Superia X-tra 400.

It’s, obviously, been a while since I have posted here. I have been taking a break from all kinds of social media.

There came a time when it became too anger-inducing and too mind-numbing for me to continue keeping those apps on my phone and in my life. TikTok? Gone. Instagram? Gone. The only one I couldn’t get rid of was YouTube (there just isn’t an adequate replacement for it).

I have also been busy with law school, but that is now coming to a close. Though, that does not mean I expect to have any more free time. In fact, less as I start practicing.

What I missed about social media

But over the last year or so, I have missed a few things about social media.

I have missed having an outlet. I have missed having a place to share my thoughts and opinions, or happenings in my life—like this post and where I have been.

This desire for an outlet tugs at me to come back, but while I’ve been away I have tried to think about what outlet I am really craving? Opinion? Informative? Creative? All of the above?

One problem I have with social media is that it puts you in a box. You develop a style, a format, or a brand, and that’s it. Once that gets established, it’s nearly impossible to pivot. And I have never loved the feeling of being stuck in a box—just ask my TikTok followers.

The other thing I have noticed, is truly how much of our culture begins and ends online. As I am rapidly approaching middle age, stepping away from social media has made me feel older. I have never been a pop culture person (my wife can attest), but I felt like I had at least some part of my finger on the pulse.

When you step away from social media, however, it’s really easy to fall out of touch, particularly with cultural trends. I still pay attention to the news and with developments in the legal field, but viral, cultural moments can really pass you by.

What’s next?

I’m not sure whether I am coming back to social media or not. My hiatus has been enjoyable in many ways. I have pursued interests in the last year—primarily around computers, coding, AI, and privacy—that I might not have explored so fully had I continued scrolling TikTok.

But for the reasons above, it has also been something I’ve missed. I don’t know if my absence was noticed at all and it doesn’t really matter. It was liberating to pull back for a bit and reframe my relationship with social media for the first time since—I don’t know, I got a Facebook account in the aughts?

If I do come back, it will be with more autonomy and control, more discretion about what I share and why, and more intention.

If you feel like social media has become more of negative than a positive in your life—perhaps it’s time to take a break too. Ask me about it or leave a comment.

Also, is there something you would like me to write about? Is there anything over the years that you particularly enjoyed about MJR News? Let me know.

Thanks for reading.