The Importance of A Social Media Clean Out

Social Media, we all have it, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or anything else, we all have a form of social media right at our finger tips. Now I don't know who else is willing to admit this but I am. We can become glued to social media at some point in time, maybe your time was back then and maybe it's now. As for me, there's been numerous of times where the first thing I might do is get on my phone and check social media, to see all the notifications I might have missed and to just scroll. How many of us can admit that we just lay in bed for a second to check our phones and then it might turn into 10 minutes or more of just scrolling. It's okay if you're too high and mighty in your own head to admit it, but Lord knows, I do this too much and I want that to change that soon. Now then, social media can be as dangerous as a double edged sword, on one hand, it can be used to inspire you and on the other hand it can be used to intimidate you. This goes by the pages we may be following or liking. The internet can literally change your mindset one page at a time in one way or another and here's how it happens...

Our ear gates and eye gates are very very sensitive when they take in information and visuals and they become even more aware and sensitive when you give your life to Christ because the enemy desires you to fall in some way, shape, or form. The enemy still wanted you to fall before coming to Christ but it was just easier for him to get to us because we were in some form of bondage without even knowing it at that time. Now here's how the internet can change your feelings and emotions in just seconds. It's by the content your mind is consuming in that exact moment of viewing a specific post. You could wake up in a great mood and then once you hop on twitter, your timeline could be flooded with people saying how they are depressed or lonely or hate their day already and then boom, if you aren't careful you fall into feeling the same way just because of what you just viewed. Now you might be reading this and thinking that it's not that serious when really it is. See the fact that our minds change without us knowing it when viewing specific things can be both incredible and dangerous. It can be incredible because if we were in a bad mood before and begin to view something positive then it works out in our favor and we already know how it can be dangerous.

Certain things that we entertain through our eyes can even cause us to stumble and eventually fall. You can find just about anything on the internet but when it comes to social media, you are literally in control of the things that you see and don't see. With the advancements of technology and daily updates for social apps, you can literally control what you see on your own personal timelines, whether or not you want a private or public account and to the point of where you can sensor people from leaving unpleasant comments to turning comments off completely. All of this and so much more in order to make your personal viewing fit you. So what am I saying..you are constantly making a choice of what you view and entertain through your eyes by what you decide to follow and tolerate. Now here's a scenario that I'm pretty sure the majority of us fall in as believers and the people who might have wanted a fresh start. You had a certain lifestyle that either you weren't proud of or you just needed a change of direction in life. So you decide to change and in doing so, you want your socials to match you. Sort of like a "new me new look' kind of deal. So you clear out your old photos and begin to post new ones with your new lifestyle. Now some people go as far as to delete their old accounts and just make new ones while others just update their old ones. Now you changed your photos and ways of posting but once you scroll down your timeline, it's still filled with all of the old things and people that don't serve you any good purpose. Some people hold onto those followings and pages for numbers sake and some truly don't know how to let go (if they are following people that they used to know with toxic memories) and last but not least, some people truly don't want to change as much as they claim. 

If this is you, then it's time for a social media clean out. Unfollowing people and pages that are no good for you. Scrolling through and cleaning up your following list may seem like an unnecessary task when really it isn't. It's all up to you in who and what you choose to follow. Whatever you follow and like is what will appear on your timeline on any social media sight. So let's say you had a problem with looking at explicit content and no matter how many times you tried to get away from it, it kept popping up on your sites. Well this is simply because of the data that the socials collect about you based upon you likes and dislikes so suggested pages and posts will pop up because of what YOU decided to like, follow, and entertain. You must be seeing where I am going with this by now. So what do you do? Clean out your social media by unfollowing people and pages that aren't good for you. Now then you may have had someone in your life that you ended on bad terms with. Maybe it was a bad break up, a fight with a friend, or a betrayal of a family member due to social media drama, either way, you had the falling out with them but you still decided stay connected with them. Now, you might read that and say that you aren't connected with them but when you follow someone, you are ALWAYS getting updated on every time they upload photos or posts. So someone that did you wrong could be out there living their best life and it's just eating you up inside every time you see them or maybe someone that you wronged finally got the good life they deserved and you're feeling like crap every time you see their face. Why even put yourself in a situation to be set up by painful memories or jealousy or comparison? Hit the unfollow or block button. I'd say the block button if you find yourself in a place where you can't stop looking up people you no longer have contact with over and over again.

Then last but not least, the thief of joy: comparison. Now you might be following some good people but because of some insecurities that may try to rise up, you begin to compare yourself to every person you see on social media. Now mainly, comparison is always rooted with something within you that you need to deal with and overcome. You can't follow a positive person and then block out the fact that they are positive with viewing them in a way of "why can't I be like that an etc". All in all, social media clean outs are for your protection. You've got to let go of anything and anyone that may cause you to stumble and fall and even when you think you are strong enough, everyone has a breaking point so it's best to stay away from adding fuel to an almost dead fire. Clean out your social media by clearing out the necessary things that you have chosen to follow. Read that sentence again and be real with yourself. You CHOSE to follow and see the things that can hinder your walk. So take the steps to clear out the things that hinder your walk. Social Media clean outs can clean up your timeline and liking things that are on a positive note will be collected and suggested pages that match that will begin to pop up for you. So for example, you want more of God on your viewing bases, follow things that cater to that. Like it was stated before, you can find anything online but it's a choice as in to what you decide to follow and entertain. I hope this helps anyone who knows they've got some cleaning up to do on their socials. Don't wait for later because later becomes never, start today, happy cleaning!

As Always: Stay Blessed & Encouraged