You Don't Have to Be on Social Media If You Don't Want to Be with Amelia Hruby
Oct 24, 2023
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Amelia Hruby, founder of Softer Sounds and host of Off the Grid, shares insights on leaving social media, exploring alternatives for creators, the benefits of being off social media, and the importance of empathy and support.
Leaving social media can benefit individuals and businesses; a simple five-step process helps in making a successful exit.
Prioritizing mental well-being, building email lists, and engaging in meaningful conversations outside social media are crucial for creators and individuals.
Deep dives
Leaving Social Media: A Five-Step Process
Leaving social media can be a beneficial choice for many individuals. Amelia Ruby, an expert in exiting social media, shares a simple five-step process for those considering leaving. Step one is making the difficult decision to leave, followed by notifying people on the platform about your departure and providing alternative ways of staying connected. Step three involves requesting and archiving your data from the platform. Step four is deciding whether to keep your profile as an archive or delete it entirely, making necessary adjustments. Finally, step five is signing off from social media. This process can be especially helpful for creators, business owners, and podcasters who use social media for work. Amelia also emphasizes the importance of maintaining direct communication through email lists and engaging in meaningful conversations with others.
Recognizing Codependency and Finding Alternatives
Amelia Ruby reflects on her own experience leaving social media, attributing her decision to realizing she had developed a codependent relationship with the platform. She highlights the need to prioritize mental well-being and seek healthier alternatives. She recommends building an email list as a powerful way to stay connected with those who appreciate your work. Additionally, engaging in meaningful conversations and cultivating genuine relationships outside of social media can be invaluable for sharing and receiving support. Amelia encourages creators and individuals to find a middle ground in using social media intentionally and setting clear intentions to avoid getting caught up in seeking fame or validation.
Clarity, Empathy, and the Power of Listening
Upon leaving social media, Amelia experienced a mental clarity that allowed her to form her own well-informed opinions and beliefs. She emphasizes the importance of shutting up and listening, recognizing that not every global event requires one's immediate opinion or reaction. Cultivating empathy and support is best achieved by actively listening to and amplifying the voices of those who are directly affected. Amelia highlights the need to avoid centering oneself in every conversation and instead focus on cultivating empathy and sharing meaningful insights when they truly matter. Ted Talks and the pervasive need to constantly share one's thoughts are pinpointed as contributors to these social media trends.
Amelia Hruby is a writer, educator and podcaster with a PhD in philosophy. Over the past decade, she’s been a university professor, a community organizer, and a radio DJ. Now, she is the founder and executive producer of Softer Sounds, a feminist podcast studio that supports women and nonbinary small business owners in creating purposeful, powerful podcasts. She’s also the host of Off the Grid, a podcast about leaving social media without losing all your clients, where she shares stories, strategies and experiments for growing your business with radical generosity and energetic sovereignty.
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