Why am I Online?

Some transparent thoughts on social media content creation

Well hello there friends,

I just did something a little crazy, at least for me…. I deleted every single post I had previously written here on substack. I haven’t changed my mind on anything I had previously written, but I do think the Lord is drawing my heart to change directions on this particular platform.

Maybe it’s an older millennial thing, but I miss the simplicity of the way we used to share online. The old instagram squares that were just beautiful photos and thoughtful captions. The old blogs written by tired moms just sharing their day to day thoughts and gleanings.

Scrolling through my feeds and blog posts of my favorite online “friends” was a relaxing and edifying endeavor ten years ago. I left the scroll feeling encouraged and renewed.

Somewhere along the way this all got lost. Things have definitely changed.

Today the feeds seem so loud and chaotic, memed to the max, polarizing, and everyone is an “expert” who is of course parroting the other “experts”. Ten minutes of scrolling often leaves one feeling overwhelmed and confused, and then we wonder why we signed on in the first place…. oh yeah, I was suppose to respond to that one message, that’s why I got on. How did I get so sucked into the feed that I didn’t even accomplish the things I had set out to do? Well it isn’t really that mysterious, the algorithm is set up to captivate you and keep you with one tiny dopamine hit after another—and this is how they make their money. Your brain space and time is being spent so that their wallets can grow fatter.

As someone who recognizes both the benefits and the dangers of the online world, how can I navigate it wisely—resisting its pitfalls while using it for good?

The social media gurus will say to succeed in this online rat race one must pick a niche, use trending audio, post a reel every day, copy what works for others (I guess it never occurred to said gurus that might be plagiarism, but let’s not camp out too long there since that’s probably a whole other post for another day.)

Pretty soon under this “wise guidance”, all the content creator ladies sound like all the other content creator ladies….and now here we are in one big, loud, overstimulating echo chamber.

Tell me it isn’t just me that feels this way.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve tried these tactics myself and sadly found that they did indeed result in more likes and follows. But for what?

So that I could be another voice saying the same things as all the other women in my niche. It isn’t that what they are saying is wrong, it isn’t at all, in fact it’s a message that this generation and culture desperately needs, and I’m glad that it is being shared. From tradwives, to minimalist, to homesteaders, homeschoolers, and the crunchy mamas…. all of these movements and niches have gained popularity for good reason—our culture has run headlong in the opposite direction and is now reaping the fruits of the previous generations promoting feminism, over consumption, convenience foods, and pharmaceuticals.

But there is something missing in the madness, and I think that thing is depth, true life experience, and the willingness to step off of the content creation hamster wheel and get a new and more authentic game-plan.

Do I know what the plan should be? Nope.

But I’m committed to digging in deeper and making the changes necessary for me to continue using social media in a way that I believe is helpful and life-giving to others instead of soul-sucking and time-wasting.

One of these changes for me is to do more candid writing like this. I want to share some of my day to day thoughts, even if I’m still processing and don’t fully have all the conclusions made.…. less polished, probably will have typos, I might even say something that upon further thought I change my mind and have to recant or clarify. (This is the scary part for me, but I realize that this is only pride and needs to be put to death one way or another.)

What I love most about this style of writing is that it is more of what we shared back in the earlier days of the internet, and it felt more like community and conversation than ads and perfectly polished thoughts that are being parroted every other reel.

So I’d love for you to add to the conversation…. what are your thoughts?

How are you feeling about your feeds these days?

What are some changes we can make together to once again yield the tool of the internet in a life-giving way?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

With Love,

Stacey

If you enjoy these posts, please take a few minutes to check out my sponsors.

When you click these links or sign the petitions, I get paid. By participating, you help keep all of my content free, and it financially blesses my family. The clicks are so helpful, but the signatures/sign ups pay me the most. It only takes a few seconds for each.

Thanks so much friends! 🫶🏼

Click

📖 Are core freedoms that conservatives value – free speech, religious liberty, and keeping the federal government out of our lives – potentially under threat yet again?

➡️ https://bit.ly/3SryFaD

Sign

Woke insurance is draining your wallet! Stop getting ripped off and sign up for a free review from America First Healthcare. ➡️ https://bit.ly/45cncn6

Tired of media spin and anti-Trump bias? The Patriot Post delivers clear, fact-based reporting on President Trump's accomplishments without the liberal filter. SUBSCRIBE and stay informed with the truth. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Z0E8sH