Offline (sorta) guilt
I’ve had such busy weekends lately* that I have been purposefully avoiding spending a ton of time online** (Facebook, email, blog reading).
It’s been so refreshing.
But I feel sorta guilty. Just sorta.
Sorta guilty that I am not keeping up with people*** as well as I should.
Sorta guilty that I am shutting down and keeping to myself.
But it’s so nice to just enjoy my time and not constantly check in to social media platforms. And it’s so nice to not feel like I always**** have to rush to share something I just did, or am doing. Honestly, it all gets so overwhelming for me! I feel like I can’t keep up and that turns something that is supposed to be fun in to something stressful.
A ton of people I know ran a half marathon on Saturday and I didn’t look at Facebook until after midnight… so really, the next day. It took me about 30 minutes to scroll through all the posts about the race – there were just so many. I really enjoyed looking at it all, and did feel somewhat bad that I was commenting and “liking” so late, but honestly, I know it’s better for me if I just log in and look at everything once, than try to constantly check in on social media stuff on my phone.
And that is a huge part of the stress. I feel like I am always connected, through my phone, and like I should be checking in on things all the time. Nope. Don’t need to!
Anyways. I am not complaining. I think social media is a lot of fun. I am just recognizing that I do need to disconnect from time to time. And that I probably don’t need to feel guilty about it.
Has anyone else felt guilty (or sorta guilty) for not being online much?
And since no post is complete with out a picture, please tell me you “get” my shirt for the MAY FOURTH race I did?!
*There is also a lot of this going on.
**On the weekends.
***I actually correspond a lot with my close friends throughout the week. So this is more about keeping up with the people that I don’t email back and forth with, text with daily, etc.
****Not never, because I am still sharing things.
Themocracy
yes…yes…nodding…mmmmhuh mmmmmhuh. don’t remember the last time i actually sat down to read a blog and comment. with all the social media platforms these days, it’s hard to keep up. so i just don’t anymore. facebook, twitter, instagram, the vine, blah, blah, blah, blah…the list goes on and on! you could loose your life trying to keep up with others online. i sadly don’t have any guilt and instead just feel filled with satisfaction and jubilation about how i’m enjoying living my life right now. if that makes my blog a major flop and people hate me, oh well. life goes on and those who are important will always stick around.
so, on that note…fill me in chica! how was the race yesterday??? what have you got coming up??? how’s life been otherwise? when are you taking your cert?
Exactly. I don’t know how people do ALL the platforms. Blogs/Facebook/email is overwhelming for me, most of the time!
The race was good in the sense that I set a PR but my body wasn’t in the right shape for it. But! I did it! 🙂 No goal races coming up now! Just stuff for fun. Life is too busy. That cert is going to be pushed back. Meh. I can’t find time to study. LOL.
What is new with you?! 🙂 I love your new patio. When are we invited over? 😛
yes yes yes! A social media hiatus is in order (for me, for sure). and you DON’T need to feel guilty about it!
may the fourth be with you 🙂
How’s it going so far today? 🙂
The Kane County Cougars changed their uniforms on May 4 to something similar to your Wookiee pelt. Way to represent!
I feel guilty when I’m away from my online life but not *too* guilty if you know what I mean.
My BIL showed me that! I loved it! And thank you 🙂
Yeah. That is how I feel too. Sort of, but I know I keep in touch/show I care other ways 😉
Social media is a tool for connection and self-expression. Don’t let it run you, Kim. If you need to take some time off, take some time off. Or just give us a weekly Data picture. 🙂 You’re a very prolific blogger and commenter and you hold yourself to a high standard for communicating, which is great, but it’s self-imposed. I know I for one will always enjoy reading what you post when you feel like posting it.
I have been on a blog-cation for the past four months, so I understand about feeling guilty for being offline.
Are you a therapist or something?! Damn. You really nailed it. It is totally self-imposed. And I do set the standard. So. I need to back the eff off when I want to!
I was going to ask why we aren’t getting any cat pics!!!
OMG don’t you dare feel guilty. Do what is best for you. There’s so much to be said for disconnecting. Trust me we get it. I am rarely ‘on’ on weekends. It’s better that way. Life’s too short for guilt.
I feel like this sometimes! I’ve been feeling like blogging is a ‘chore’ lately but I feel guilty if I don’t prep a post! I also feel guilty if I don’t login to FB at least once a day because I freak out I’m missing someone’s birthday and God Forbid I don’t write HAPPY BDAY on their wall-because yeah, that means SO much. Clearly if I don’t know the person’s bday without FB and only write on their wall it shows how close we are as friends and why do I feel guilty about forgetting to write on a FB wall of someone I spoke to 4 times in high school?
Sometimes the Internet is a curse..but other days (like when I get to gchat with you all day) it’s a life saver.
Yes! Why haven’t you ghcatted me yet today?! LOL
I feel stupidly bad when I am off FB all day and miss a birthday. Derp.
Anytime something that’s supposed to be fun and just a hobby turns into something that’s stressful or feels like an obligation, you should take a step back and re-examine that. I miss seeing you online as much (actually no, I miss seeing you in PERSON!), but keeping up with the internets shouldn’t stress you out!
I do kind of miss the days when we weren’t all so connected at all times, or didn’t feel compelled to share every little thing we’re doing immediately (and I am pretty guilty of that sometimes). It’s nice to get a break from that. We’re going to be up in Michigan over Memorial Day weekend, away from cell signal and internet, and I always look forward to just unplugging and relaxing.
Yes! I definitely have been feeling this way lately! I’m sure it’s because I haven’t been blogging much at all though. Oops. I do miss it and want to get back into a routine but I’ve been feeling kind of meh about it and I’ve been busy offline with other stuff so it’s kind of been put on the back burner. In a way, not being so connected has been really good for me in that I’m spending more time with people (as opposed to catching up with them on social media) but I do miss connecting more with people I don’t communicate with as frequently.
Yes yes yes. I am still spending a lot of time with people outside of social media. I guess what I mean is… I am very social… irl! But if I don’t show that online, does it count? Ha ha ha. Yes. And it’s a bit more fulfilling 🙂
Long before I started blogging or even before Facebook was a thing, I turned off my computer on the weekends. I felt like I was tied to it all week long for work, so I’d ignore it from Friday night through Sunday. And, I’m kind of glad I established that routine, because I still try to follow it to this day. Granted, smart phones make it easier to check in. But, I feel no guilt whatsoever by checking out for a few days at a time, despite doing so on a very regular basis. I think it’s great you were living such a full life that you didn’t have time to check in online. I hope you’ll grow to enjoy that time away, rather than feel any amount of guilt.
I was enjoying it this weekend until I got a frantic email asking me about my race results. Really? Can I wait to share that until later?! Why does everything have to be instant?!
Sorry for the rant. LOL.
I miss your posts…but I have fallen off as well because I really got nothing to say lol.
And I got Chewbacca right away. 😉
Chewy!!
Yes. Totes agree on the feeling guilty part. I have pulled back from the internets and do feel like I should still be commenting on every blog, and face booking and whatever. But then I realize those online activities don’t really impact my real life in a positive way. (Nor negative) I like making blog posts because I treat it like my journal. And don’t get me wrong, I do like social media for the friends I’ve made.
It’s just nice to enjoy it, and when it becomes a chore is when I pull back. (Plus imma start running mad miles like you soon, so I won’t have time to do much!!) 🙂
Yes! Take what you want out of it, and take a break when you don’t need it. Does that make it an abusive relationship?! ha ha ha
You are going to be running mad miles!!!! EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was sitting on the couch last night, feeling exhausted, and thinking about how I hadn’t read blogs since Thursday. And kind of feeling like I didn’t really miss it. What’s happened to me???
Anyway, no need to feel guilty. I mean, I hate to say it but probably the people who would notice your absence are the people you’re talking to outside of social media, anyway!
Oh yeah. I have no delusion that anyone actually gives a crap how much I post or if I comment much on their blog/Facebook. I keep in touch with people well outside of that stuff.
And I haven’t been missing it either. I am just so worn out from everything! Do you think that is it for you too?
I wish I could do this!!! Whenever I try to disconnect, I reconnect without even thinking about it. 🙁 Ugh!
Everyone should disconnect sometime, at least for some time.
I tend to feel the most guilty about not commenting on blogs I comment on daily. Obviously I did NOT have a chance to do that on Friday, but I felt like I needed to be apologizing up and down for missing one post by people for fear they’d think I hate them. Although, I suppose I’d also like to believe my Internet friends are secure enough in our Internet relationship that they won’t think I hate them because of my lack of Internet love for 24 whole hours.
Also, I would just like to say that I put in a personal request to the race director at Wisconsin to ask the announcer to say, “May the Fourth be with you!” when the race started, but I was shot down. Boo.
I know what you mean! And I agree that they will not be upset, but I still feel annoying when I am commenting on such old posts! (like now, from the middle of April!)
Bummer! Push for it again next year! 🙂
I completely relate. I do love blogging and our wonderful blogging network, but it takes a TON of time and is something that I constantly feel like I am falling behind on. Blogging and social networking is literally a full-time job!!!
I actually feel guilty about how much time I spend on-line and almost always think that it’s a good thing to take a break from being connected, except for work. I realize that there is a generational gap (I am older!), so that may contribute to a different attiude. I think it’s healthy to spend your weekends being out and about and disconnecting, but I know that is my view.
By the way, congrats on the race. I hope the force was with you!
Don’t feel guilty. Disconnecting is important. When I disconnect I do have other ways to connect with people but I’m always horrible about it. For some reason I am bad at texting/calling and emailing people but keep in touch by facebook. I need to get better at keeping in touch without social media because I am on the internet way too much.
I completely agree, I have the same issues. I can’t do twitter because lack of time.
Congrats on the race girl! Can’t wait to hear more about it! (And yes, I totally feel that way about social media/the Internets/blogs too sometimes–especially after our cruise. It really hit me at that time but I can never seem to escape from it since it’s part of my job- le sigh!)
Valerie
http://www.the-style-files.com
Is that a new gravatar of your headshot? 🙂
I have been busy too and I feel bad that I haven’t been posting. Plus I feel like I have nothing good to post since I am not really training for anything.
You don’t have to be training to have content! 🙂
Lately I’ve been feeling very overstretched in terms of working, commuting, training, applying for a new job, and trying to do the normal stuff like feed myself and keep my living area relatively clean. Blogging, reading blogs and social media has taken a backseat. Which is OK! It’s optional. When bloggers are like “sorry I haven’t posted” or basically apologize, I get confused. You don’t owe us anything. You have a life. That’s fine. If you feel obligated to post, maybe you need to take a step back.
I definitely try to keep in mind the balance of my online presence. I try to keep in touch w/ blogger friends through whatever mechanisms, and I’m sure it seems like I disappear sometimes.
I definitely feel that guilt from time to time. I didn’t really have time for the Internets last weekend and I’m still trying to catch up on blog posts. It can be tough sometimes, but ourselves and the people around us have to take priority. Kudos to you for being able to step back when you needed to. 🙂
I actually feel guilty for being online too much. It becomes such a distraction for me! Especially when I’m in school!
I unplug a lot during school. I’ll typically delete the FB app on my phone so I won’t check it!
I was thinking about taking the app off my phone! Or adding an app with a timer so I have set breaks. 😉 I actually use my phone/computer when I study to look up visuals of things (last night, it was Q-angle).
So you know from my emails how guilty and stressed I was feeling about not catching up. (“ZOMG, sorry that I haven’t caught up!”) I was just telling Harrison recently that I was thinking about imposing an Internet ban on myself on the weekends (or maybe just on Sunday to start out) because I feel like I waste too much time reading about other people’s lives instead of living my own. And while I enjoy finding projects and reading about hobbies, I look back on the time I spent on the Internet and think that there wasn’t anything truly memorable about it. And then it feels like wasted time. So good for you for unplugging for awhile. It takes some guts, I think, to disconnect and purposefully make the decision not to stay constantly updated, but it seems like you needed it and feel that it was worthwhile.
It does feel really good not to constantly be checking in! I think starting with doing it on Sundays is a great idea! 🙂 This weekend I was off Facebook for only 24 hours (except to post something to my blog from the Pages app… which means I did not see anything else… anyway) and when I got back on it was like “HOLY COW! So much to catch up with.” Then I felt all panicked. But… why? If I do not “like” a friends pic within 24 hours… or ever… I would to think that does not upset them? And if something awesome (or bad) happened to them, they would tell me and I would not have to see it there to know?
I do feel a little guilty sometimes. I was completely disconnected while on vacation (aside from being able to check my email once a day) due to phone issues and it was quite lovely. Hard to feel guilty when you are forced to step back though. I am finding that there are some things I want to keep ignoring though and I’m ok with that. I’m trying to take a bit of a step back as I catch up on some of the things I find more important (like catching up on your posts).