One month… without SnapChat

The One month series is a collection of monthly habits I try out out to see whether the habit is of value to me if it’s either taken away from me or added to my life. At the end of the month I reflect on how the the challenges I faced, whether it was a distraction or really added value through a series of Q&As.

The first in the series is One month without Snapchat.

Why did you choose to go a month without SnapChat? Free time has been very scarce lately especially now I have a baby and toddler to look after. I also wanted to start this blog so that meant giving up something else. I looked at what distractions I had on a daily basis and Snapchat was high up the list. I was killing a lot time watching others doing face swaps which wasn’t the best use of my free time.

How did you feel after the first day? I had a FOMO (fear of missing out) as Snapchat stories expired after 24 hours. I followed a number of DJs as I’d always wondered what it would be like to be a musician and travel around the world. People like Diplo are constantly using Snapchat and using it in a way makes you feel what it’s like to be him. I found his life very interesting so when it came to not being able to access Snapchat I had withdrawal symptoms. Luckily it got easier as days went by.

Did you not just use the time normally spent on SnapChat on other Social Media apps? No, I think it I actually spent less time on others such as Instagram and Facebook although I didn’t track this.

Did you spend this free time on your blog? I wouldn’t say yes. I did manage to set aside some of this time for my blog but most of it went on spending more time with my recently expanded family so  I’m more than happy.

Did you miss SnapChat at the end of the challenge? Not by the end. I did have the urge to reinstall during the first week but those thoughts soon disappeared.
What was the one thing you took away from the challenge? I realised that Snapchat didn’t have a purpose for me whereas Instagram and Facebook allows me to keep in touch with what my friends and family are up to. This started to make me to use these apps for a purpose. If I establish what I’m trying to achieve before I go into Instagram, it avoids distraction and leads to a more intentional and satisfying experience. I can’t say that I have never been distracted since but it’s certainly now occasional rather than a regular occurrence.

Will you be setting SnapChat on your phone again? I did reinstall it after the challenge but never got around to logging in. It was left as digital clutter for about a week before I removed the app from my phone.