Back to the basics – talking about breaking up with social media!

​Can we still get the word out with posting on platforms? Is it possible to grow an email list if we’re not on Instagram? Can we stay in touch with friends and family? Can we exist in this world without having a profile?!?!

​I say the answer is yes, and on this call we’ll discuss how we’re getting by without social media, or at least not making it the focus of our daily lives.

​Some of us are still on social media, some aren’t – everyone is welcome! This ain’t black and white. This ain’t Fight Club (if this is your first call with us, you have to delete Instagram haha).

​If you’re curious about leaving social media, cutting your screen time, or if you’ve already quit and want to share you experience with others, please join us!

Thursday, August 20 at 2:00 PM EDT → https://luma.com/1q7ykwbs

An artist asked me to look at their website (as part of my Website Resurrection offering), and I noted two things that always seem to come up.

1. Stop sending your fans to platforms where you can’t reach them. Think about it, that one click away from your site could have been a click deeper into your site, so remove (or at least deprioritize) your Instagram links.
   
2. When posting your upcoming events and award nominations on a platform where 90% of our followers won’t even see it, add those updates to your website, too!

Remember, it’s 2026 – not everyone’s on Instagram anymore. Make sure the people who were adventurous enough to seek you out can see what you’re up to.

I spoke with Frances Fogel on the Better Bolder Braver podcast all about platform independence, the power of newsletters, and “work-work balance.” It’s a fun one – enjoy!

From “Bespoke Websites for Emergencies are an Active Thing“

“A single website URL is much easier to give to friends and family, who don’t really know how to look up the data on their own, but it’s something that can be put in a text message. “Go to this site,” is all you need to say. They’re happy.”

Look, not everyone is on social media these days, but every smart phone still ships with a web browser. (via Hacker News)

This from “I Moved My Entire Business Off Big Tech. Here’s Exactly How and Why,” by Tracy Stewart.

“Every single company in my new stack offers real human help. Phone, live chat, email with actual responses… I hadn’t noticed how completely I’d accepted the big tech model of help articles and chatbots until I experienced the alternative. Small companies compete on care. It shows. It makes a genuine difference.”

This is such a huge point to consider when leaving the big services – companies actually want to help you use their service!

I know setting up a website sounds hard, or moving to a new email platform, or figuring out something with domain names! But I promise, there are good companies out there with great help documents, and staffed by people who actually will help you. Like Tracy says above, we’ve accepted the big tech model of service, which is usually a let down!

Social media dangled the carrot of audience, assuring us that “everyone” was there. It was the food court at the mall, the place for many of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s.

I remember spending time at the mall, when I was still trying to find myself. I dressed like a skater, rode BMX, played basketball with friends, and loved music. So yeah, I’d do a few laps at the mall to see and be seen with some friends.

But then I met Johnny Rydell (may he Rest in Peace). I joined his band, we played shows, we went to shows, and well, I can say my whole life became music some 35 years later.

The food court was no longer interesting because it gave me none of the things I loved. I didn’t miss it because something else was now taking up my time and attention.

This is my best metaphor about leaving social media – to stop giving our minutes to the platforms, and put them somewhere else. I spend 3+ hours a day walking. And a few hours a week hosting Escape Pod Zoom calls here with Social Media Escape Club.

We’ve all got so many hours a week to spend freely. Either invest them in yourself, or hand them over to social media.

I went on a six hour hike with a friend this weekend, which is a great way to cut six hours of screen time from your week.

“When anyone asks which social media network I’m looking to join next, I tell them NONE. I have this website. A few newsletters. An email address.”

I wrote that back in 2022, and every day it’s about “progress, not perfection.” I still catch myself scrolling, mindlessly scrolling YouTube Shorts or even Substack Notes.

But then I get outside. Or record some music for 10 minutes. Make some art. Just cuz it’s not my full time job doesn’t mean it won’t compound.

I’ve been walking 10+ miles per day since May 26th. That’s 76 days of multiple adventures, sometimes 20 minutes at a time (which is how long it takes to walk about one mile).

If you don’t think it compounds, I still walked 860 miles, and burned through three pairs of shoes in that time.

Imagine three hours a day of drawing, reading, writing, rehearsing, frolicking, dreaming, practicing. Our minutes are finite, and we don’t know when they expire. A few minutes at a time is better than no minutes, and certainly better than giving those minutes to Facebook or Instagram.

Liz Derstine recently had a pretty exciting week, crossing Switzerland on the 242 mile Swiss via Alpina trail and nabbing a FKT (fastest known time).

My total time was 5 days, 17 hours, 40 minutes–1 day 2 hours faster than the current women’s record, and 1 day 5 hours faster than my previous time from 2023! I averaged over 43 miles (70 kilometers) per day and 12,650 feet (3,850 meters) of elevation gain per day.

Now, I had read her piece on crewing Tara Dower at this year’s Hardrock 100, where Tara finished 3rd woman, and 14th overall. She also “ran a large portion of the course over several days (aka “Softrock”)” and mentioned a particular bag she used, the Lickety Split 20L Backpack from Mountain Hardware.

Well, I go on plenty of adventures (though not as hardcore), and rarely need an excuse to buy a new bag, so I ordered one, and love it!

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