When I got to high school, everyone was dumbfounded that I didn’t have a Facebook or a Twitter - or any social media outlet for that matter. I went to a really tiny elementary and middle school. I didn’t need to see the other four kids in my grade when we weren’t with each other in class or hanging out on the weekends. There was no need for me to be on Facebook. My new friends also thought it was weird I didn’t give out my phone number, but I had a TracPhone and my dad would only give me more minutes once a month. I solely communicated with people through e-mail. Looking back on it, I agree my online social skills weren’t up to par.

My parents didn’t want my sister and me to use social media. The first thing she did as soon as she got to high school was make a Facebook and a Twitter which she used religiously, as any 14-year-old girl in 2009 would. When I entered high school the next year, I was hesitant, but by winter break, I had a Facebook profile just like everyone else. I didn’t go on much at first, but over time, I was just as addicted to social media as the next guy. My sophomore year, I joined Tumblr and Instagram, and my junior year, Twitter.

As time went on, I realized how much social media was ruining my life. I had to update my status. I had to comment on people’s post if I disagreed with their opinion. I had to delete an Instagram photo if it didn’t get over 40 likes. I would spend hours of my time looking through people’s profiles either making fun of them, trying to see what old friends were up to, or being jealous of how much better other people’s lives were. It was not healthy.

So I deleted everything. I started with Tumblr. Then Instagram. Then Facebook. I did never wind up deleting my Twitter, but it wasn’t consuming my life like everything else was.

And do you know what happened next?

I got a boatload of texts and calls asking if I was alright. Apparently, normal people don’t delete their entire online presence basically overnight. But it was okay because I got to see who really cared about me. And it was a lot of people.

It didn’t take long before I could see how much happier I was. I actually started texting people to see how they were. I had real conversations with people in real life. I went on adventures and lived it up without having to worry about stopping to take a picture or post a status about it. I didn’t feel bad about myself or my life anymore.

I wish I could back to that.

Unfortunately, my current activities don’t allow me to be free of social media. It’s hard to share articles or stay connected with my sorority without logging into Facebook daily. Even so, I don’t need that much time on any particular site so I have an extension downloaded on Chrome that limits my social media usage.

So if you’re not quite ready to give up everything just yet, try regulating your time spent online. Eventually, you’ll stop using social media without even thinking about. When you get to that point, just start deleting accounts. Begin with the one you use the most. Trust me, this is the way to go.