Like most people on the planet, we have a love-hate relationship with social media. On the one hand, it keeps us connected to friends and family members who would otherwise be lost to us while also providing endless entertainment when we’re stuck in line at, say, the DMV. On the other hand, it offers unrealistic representations of the lives of others and often leaves us feeling jealous, disheartened and not good enough. If you find yourself falling into the latter category, it might be time to take a break, if only for a set period—such as during high-volume posting events that may trigger you, or those moments when you’re feeling emotionally unstable and might overshare with much to regret later. Here, seven such instances we suggest you consider deleting Instagram and other social apps from your phone, at least temporarily.
Save Yourself, Honey
Anytime you see someone posting inspirational quotes on their Instagram page, you know something serious is going down in their life, right? To avoid being likewise obvious in your pain, we suggest disconnecting briefly after a breakup lest you post with the overt goal of getting the attention of your ex (whether it's to prove you're over them or to entice them back). This will simultaneously save you from stalking your lost lover, which is a habit that never leads to anything good.
We love the new trend toward honesty, but we feel we would be remiss in our duties as advice-givers if we failed to caution you against bad-mouthing your former employer online. Here's the thing—no matter how right you are about ways in which you were wronged, a public outburst on social media will give future employers pause. Even if you don't feel as though you want to work for a traditional company again or even in the same field, you never know where your path will take you and it's best to remain professional. If you don't feel you can keep mum on social in the wake of a job's end, you may want to delete your apps until the sting subsides.
In the olden days, you didn't have to see photographic evidence that your ex has moved on to happiness without you. Now, it's possible to witness every life milestone on social media, from engagement to marriage to new baby and beyond. Unless you're the most well-adjusted person on the planet, this is not healthy. We suggest you steer clear of social media during times you know your ex will be doing things like gazing lovingly at his new bride on Instagram or holding his newborn child while penning a caption tribute to the amazingness of its mother.
This one is specific to two types of people: The first is a single person who feels sad about being alone on NYE due to societal brainwashing. The other finds any event that elicits incessant Instagram posts (usually intended to assure others that said experience is cooler than everyone else's) annoying. In either case, your best bet is to delete the app until the event has ended.
Ditto. If you're one of the three people we know who can stomach endless V-day tributes posted every February 14, kudos to you. The rest of us—single or otherwise—will be offline that day.
We're kind of joking on this one, and kind of not. We're sure music festivals were always about making "the scene" to some extent, but now, with the help of social media, the music pretense has been totally abandoned as concert-goers seek only sexy Instagrams that hint at their insider, VIP status. Eye roll.
It's June 21—mark it on your calendar lest you be caught unawares by an influx of unsolicited selfies.
