Yesterday I talked a bit about how Millennials are taking a step back from social media. About a third of us ditching it all together. That won't ever happen for me, but there are times when there needs to be a dial back and actually reconnect with people.
Real connections get lost when you think all you need to do is just like someones photo to keep in touch and be "friends". One of the big things I suggested yesterday was actually calling your friends!
One of my all time favorite summers was mainly spent in the backyard of my friend Ben's house in my early/mid 20s. SOOO many great memories! Of course things change - people move, get new jobs, get married, have kids and you start to fail at keeping connected. These are friends where time can go by and you can pick up like nothing... but you need to pick up... THE PHONE!
Ben & I have been trying to set up a day to drink some beers and catch up and it just hasn't quite meshed yet. However, last night Ben picked up the phone just to let me know he hasn't forgotten. The actual phone conversation lasted for 48 minutes and OH MY GOSH! We traded some really awkward dating stories and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! So I reiterate... social media is great if used properly, but nothing substitutes real connections with friends! CALL YOUR FRIENDS!
If you're finding some trouble breaking your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Tinder addiction here's a few ideas ...
1 - Find a new hobby! I opted to throw myself more into my CrossFit gym. I like the work out and the people that are in my 6AM class are pretty cool. Real people connections! I've also started to play my guitar again.
2 - Turn off the notifications on your phone! The less often you are being alerted the less often you'll check!
3 - Spend more time with your loved ones... make plans with friends!
4 - If you're real bad... you may want to think about going cold turkey for a period of time.