My Love-Hate Relationship with Social Media

My Love-Hate Relationship with Social Media

Confession: I downloaded an app to force myself off social media. And I’m both embarrassed and relieved to admit it.

We all know social media is a double-edged sword. It connects us, inspires us, and builds brands and businesses—heck, it’s even helped me carve out parts of my own career. But lately? It feels like the lines have blurred.

There’s this unspoken pressure to always be present, online, in life, in work. Post your wins, show up in stories, document everything, and somehow find time to live fully offline too. Oh, and don’t forget to stay authentic! Be real. Be curated. Do it all.

Honestly? I’m tired.

On one hand, I love what social media has done for me. It’s connected me to incredible people. It’s given me opportunities I could only dream of. I’m the person who preaches the power of personal branding, the magic of connecting over shared passions, and using these platforms to build something bigger. I get it. Social media is a gift.

But some days, that gift feels like a weight.

On those days, my screen time gives me away. (You know the notification,“7 hours spent on Instagram this week.”) Embarrassing. The doom scroll happens so fast that I lose track of time. Suddenly, it’s an hour later, I’m mindlessly comparing myself to someone on a beach in Greece, and I feel less than—which I’m sure wasn’t part of my original plan for opening the app.

And yet, even when I try to take a break, my mind can’t switch off. If I don’t post, will my clients find me? Do I still feel relevant? Am I even doing enough?

That’s the reality, isn’t it? As much as I hate it, social media is woven into who I am—into my work, my projects, my life. It’s hard to step away from something you both need and resent.

So, I did what any “super balanced, totally in-control” person would do… I downloaded an app. An app to block social media. Imagine that—me, needing a piece of software to literally save me from myself. At first, I rolled my eyes at the irony. Then I tried it, and wow. The world didn’t end when I logged off for a few hours. No one panicked because I wasn’t posting. The likes? They can wait.

Don’t get me wrong—this isn’t some romantic call to ditch social media and live in the woods. I’m not there yet. (And who are we kidding? I still love seeing a good wedding video or beautifully decorated dinner table pop up on my feed.) But I’ve started to embrace balance. Instead of constantly being online, I’m learning to be selectively present.

I needed that app to remind me that the most important moments happen offline. Dinner with friends? The phone on silent. A walk in the park? Airplane mode on. When I’m here, fully here—not online, not curating—life feels a little less frantic.

And the truth is, even when I struggle to “find balance” with social media, I’m not giving up on it. Because for all the noise and pressure, there’s also so much good. There’s connection. There’s inspiration. And there’s growth.

I just need to take it on my own terms—one intentionally disconnected moment at a time.

Now, tell me: What’s your relationship with social media? Love it, hate it, or a little bit of both?