Episode 6: Its not you its me

If you've been following along from "Episode 1," then you may remember that I have a very on-again, off-again relationship with social media. 

Well, remember the Knowledge sharing/ tracking assignment? It made me very "on" again on Instagram (one of the tools I used for the assignment), and I realized that I do not have the willpower to resist doomscrolling.

What started as an effort to better understand the app's features turned into a four-hour catch-up session. Since this was an account I had mostly followed other "foodies" on, you would think I was engaging with communities that reflected my own food page. 

NOPE! I found myself scrolling through multiple posts from various comedians, one creator who has 10 kids, and apparently a bunch of content I don't even remember. 

Also, I think it's important to add that I am not engaging with any of the content to avoid "feeding" the algorithm. So no likes, comments, shares, or reposts. Just a watch and scroll. 

I have set up a time limit for social media on my phone. Sidenote: If you have an iPhone, you can add limits for apps or categories you want to restrict, or create a time allowance. The problem is, I sometimes tend to ignore that limit.

So, before I'm in too deep, I am thinking about what I actually want to use my Instagram account for. Is it to engage with food content creators for inspiration and learn about new cooking techniques, or is it for entertainment? That's where I am with it. How do I ensure my time is dedicated to using it as a tool rather than just a source of entertainment? 

Comments

  1. Ashley FergusonJuly 18, 2026 at 1:33 PM

    Hi! I've been gone the last few weeks and found myself immediately coming to catch up on your blog to see what I missed. I must say, I relate heavily to your post. As much as I try to stay off of social media, this course has made it a bit challenging with how much we have had to explore different social media sites. I'm impressed you have been able to have some discipline to reduce your scrolling time, and I should take your advice!

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