Eps 060: The Addicting Trap of Social Media + Why I'm Back on Instagram After 11 Months Away

Last summer, I stepped away from Instagram.At the time, it felt like a necessary experiment, and an opportunity to understand who I was, how I created, and how I connected with people outside of a platform that had been part of my daily life for over a decade. What began as a response to creative exhaustion and ethical questions about social media quickly became a much deeper exploration of community, attention, identity, and the subtle ways these platforms shape our inner worlds.This episode is a reflection on what I learned by stepping away, why I decided to come back, and how I'm approaching social media differently moving forward. It's a conversation about creativity, consumerism, belonging, self-expression, and the very human desire to be seen and understood.Most of all, it's an invitation to consider your own relationship with social media and whether the ways you're showing up online are truly aligned with the life you're trying to build offline.In this episode, we explore:Why I left Instagram for nearly a yearThe ethical questions that initially motivated my departureWhat happened to my community, business, and relationships while I was awayAlternative spaces for connection and meaningful conversationThe impact of visual stimulation on creativity and attentionSocial media, influence, and consumer cultureThe pressure to be visible onlineCreative expression versus content creationWhy your business may not need social media as much as you thinkThe desire to be seen, known, and understoodBuilding a private inner life in a public worldHow I'm approaching social media moving forwardHow some parts of life become more meaningful when they're allowed to remain private.MentionedSocial Life by Xanthe AppleyardSupernova by Chelsea RiffeThe Apprenticeship with Gianna