Why I Went Without Wi-Fi This Weekend

If you’re anything like me, you have a love/hate relationship with all things internet. On one hand, I need it for legitimate things like work emails and Googling “how many blueberries are too many for a toddler to eat.” On the other hand, I can’t keep up with my social “responsibilities” – making sure to like, comment on, and share every cute baby pic and event invite.

In short? Being plugged-in leaves me feeling burnt-out.

Sometimes it gets to be too much

As the aforementioned GIF states, I decided to quit! Just for a weekend, though. After all, the world needs to know exactly what my meals look like.

Since I had to get up early Saturday morning for a bridal shower three hours away, I decided on Friday night that I was going to keep my internet-ing to a minimum over the weekend. Guys, I’m serious. I really kept it to a minimum!

I didn’t even play Candy Crush.

Aside from snapping an Instagram pic while stuck in traffic, I wasn’t particularly connected on Saturday. It was actually pretty liberating! Instead of making sure I captured moments on camera, I lived them. I left the picture-taking to the experts. One perk of living in 2015? You can bet that someone will be taking and tagging pictures at whatever event you’re attending – so you’re free to unplug.

Thankfully you can also *untag* yourself, too

Maybe I’m an oddball here, but sometimes I feel a weird sense of obligation to scroll through my news feed. It’s one half FOMO (“fear of missing out,” in case you didn’t know) and one half politeness. I mean, I know the where the salad fork goes, how to address a letter to an employer, and when to wear white – but what’s the etiquette for socializing online?

I’m assuming this isn’t it?

I’m often nervous that my inconsistent work schedule prevents me from maintaining valuable relationships in “real life.” In a way, the internet helps me feel like I can stay in touch with just the click of a button. On the flip side, I worry that if I don’t interact enough online, my social life will reap the consequences.

Thankfully my weekend mini-sabbatical didn’t seem to have the negative impact I had feared.

sooo alooone

In the end, I don’t know how often I’m going to try and disconnect, but the idea isn’t as anxiety-inducing as it once was. I’ve come away feeling like I was more present and involved in real life social situations and less concerned about missed opportunities on social network sites.

So why not take a little weekend web vacation? But, ya know, like, comment on, and share this blog post first…

kthxbai 🙂