Goodbye, Digital World!

I spent a few weeks off of Substack and it was the best thing that ever happened to me

I’ve been swamped by university work and other commitments lately that I haven’t had the time to set aside some time to write, let alone muster enough effort to properly interact on here. So, I decided to take a week or two of a break after struggling to post. It was great! I caught up on work, spent some time outside, watching and reading things I like.

You’ve probably heard that a lot. Both from me and from everyone else on here. I think I’ve written about it like five times. Phones and social media are evil (but Substack doesn’t really count so it’s fine to be on here) leave immediately, doomscrolling is the worst (I actually have a post on that), technology is the downfall of society.

However. Taking that break was also genuinely the best possible decision I could’ve made for myself because I was removed from almost any source of social media for days, sans texting. I’ve done this multiple times and every single time I have I forget how great it is to not be on social media. It’s a whole cycle.

Anyways. I’ve been disconnected from the wider social world and it’s been wonderful to exist outside the sphere of the internet for a little bit. Days magically seem longer, I engage in my hobbies more, spend time with people—I actually live a life.

As soon as I’ve come back, it almost feels like those dopamine hits are slowly coming back. There’s a noticeable difference in my attention when I’m on my phone for an extended period of time and I’m not, and it’s definitely warped my perception of people and space.

For example, as of right now, I have 500 or so subscribers. Is that not insane? 500 people read my writing to even begin with, and like my work enough to keep up with the blog weekly. That’s enough people to fill a venue for an event, a wedding, or a concert.

Just try to imagine 500 people in a room with you right now. All readers of your blog. It’s even more crazier to picture dozens of them saying the things they comment—about how they relate, how much they enjoyed reading.

They’re scattered all over the world, too. 180 from America. 20 from Canada. 19 from Australia, 47 from the UK, 6 from Algeria, 4 from Mexico, 7 from France and the Netherlands, 8 from Italy. 5 from Spain, 3 from Russia, 23 from India. 5 from South Africa and Turkey. Overall, there are readers from 70 countries.

These are just some of the subscribers and countries that subscribers are from. People from different places and all walks of life, tuning in every Friday to read. For some reason, you’ve all individually been drawn to this publication.

For anyone who’s actually interested, this is what 500 people looks like

Your digital effect, no matter how big or small, is still enough to change a singular living, breathing human’s perspective, to educate them, to make them feel like they can relate and that they’re not alone, to be happy and smile to. Multiply that by 500.

The only problem with this is the lack of the physical presence of this interaction. In the time that I’ve had off, I’ve spent my time with family and friends, talked to people more and in general, just been with others personally.

I love being on here. I love my Substack, my social profiles, documenting my life and sharing it with people—and seeing what they’ve got going on in their lives. What everyone’s up to and where we’ve been and all. It’s an easy way to connect, especially if you don’t have the time to meet. I’m met so many people on here, unlimited by physical barriers, and consider them friends!

I’d never leave permanently because carving out your own corner in the digital space is in it of itself fun, especially if you find community. I love personalising my accounts, identifying myself in unique ways online, using photos and words to express and represent myself and engaging with my interests and talking that those who share it.

But it makes a world of a difference to actually see and feel this rather than just looking at it through a screen. It’s impossible to live a satisfied life if you’re replacing real, social interaction with a phone. You’re not interacting with people. You’re interacting with a phone that allows you to talk to people. Who are you without the internet? What actually makes up you, beyond it?

Identity can come through with the smaller things. How people in reality see you as well. The baristas at the coffee shop you visit every morning, the florists who sell you flowers for birthdays and celebrations, school and uni students that you work with for a group project, work buddies, friends and friends of friends, family. Your real world might be less expansive than online, but that doesn’t make it any smaller. Life feels completely different when you’re not glued to a screen 24/7.