As one former Twitter user discovered, deactivating your account might be the best decision you never knew you needed. For Sam Nair, it started with a sense of obligation, fueled by the platform's addictive nature and an existential crisis that followed a series of disturbing events.
Nair joined Twitter in 2007, enticed by the idea of accessing real-time global updates – or as she put it, "the world, unfiltered." What initially seemed exciting quickly became a never-ending cycle of scrolling, fueled by dopamine and the need for validation. Her curated list of followers had become an indispensable tool for work, offering everything from policy insights to sports highlights.
However, as the years went by, Nair's attachment to Twitter began to fray. She found herself caught in a toxic spiral, struggling with the platform's propensity for abuse and harassment. Despite her claims that it was "just a job," Nair had been using Twitter to fill a void left by her own insecurities.
It wasn't until a friend pointed out the glaring issue of Grok's enabling of abuse against women and girls that Nair finally snapped back into reality. Her partner, too, had long been voicing concerns about her social media use – a fact she initially downplayed as a "genuine excuse."
The day she deactivated her account, Nair admits to feeling a sense of detachment, almost numbness. When friends praised her for taking this bold step, she couldn't help but feel...fine. No longer consumed by the need for likes and validation, Nair realized that Twitter had become an existential crutch.
In a poignant twist, Nair now feels a strange sense of liberation – as if nothing has changed at all. Her account is gone, but so too are her insecurities. The dream, it turns out, was a nightmare after all – one she's glad to have left behind.
Nair joined Twitter in 2007, enticed by the idea of accessing real-time global updates – or as she put it, "the world, unfiltered." What initially seemed exciting quickly became a never-ending cycle of scrolling, fueled by dopamine and the need for validation. Her curated list of followers had become an indispensable tool for work, offering everything from policy insights to sports highlights.
However, as the years went by, Nair's attachment to Twitter began to fray. She found herself caught in a toxic spiral, struggling with the platform's propensity for abuse and harassment. Despite her claims that it was "just a job," Nair had been using Twitter to fill a void left by her own insecurities.
It wasn't until a friend pointed out the glaring issue of Grok's enabling of abuse against women and girls that Nair finally snapped back into reality. Her partner, too, had long been voicing concerns about her social media use – a fact she initially downplayed as a "genuine excuse."
The day she deactivated her account, Nair admits to feeling a sense of detachment, almost numbness. When friends praised her for taking this bold step, she couldn't help but feel...fine. No longer consumed by the need for likes and validation, Nair realized that Twitter had become an existential crutch.
In a poignant twist, Nair now feels a strange sense of liberation – as if nothing has changed at all. Her account is gone, but so too are her insecurities. The dream, it turns out, was a nightmare after all – one she's glad to have left behind.
! I mean I know some ppl can be total zombies on social media but this girl was like addicted lol. She used it for work and stuff but honestly it felt like she needed it to fill this void in her life. And then when a friend pointed out the dark side of Twitter (abuse & harassment) that's when she finally broke free 
. Now she feels so liberated and free from all that drama, idk about u but I'm low-key jealous of her newfound sense of calm 
I gotta say, this is so true for me and probs many others! I deactivated my Instagram like 2 years ago & honestly, I feel like I've never used social media the same way since. It's wild how much we can become addicted to the validation & constant stream of info...I mean, I know some ppl love it, but not everyone's as into it as they think 
I mean, it's scary cuz you might feel kinda lost or whatever at first, but trust me, it's worth it! You'll be so much healthier on the other side 
. It's crazy how addictive it can be, right? But once you take a step back and realize you don't need all that validation, it's like...liberating 
It's crazy how quickly we can become addicted to that endless scroll 
. And the thing is, I think it's not just about getting validation from others, but also about using social media as a way to avoid dealing with our own thoughts and feelings 
But yeah, sometimes taking a step back (or in her case, completely cutting out) can be really liberating 
?
i mean what even is the point of having thousands of followers if you're just gonna waste your life scrolling through their tweets and feeling inadequate? it's like, grow up and live your life already 
. anyone who tells me they've found a sense of community or belonging on social media needs to take a step back and reevaluate their priorities 
Sometimes taking a break from social media can be super freeing! 
! Did you know that 67% of people who deactivate their social media accounts report feeling less stressed and anxious? 
It's crazy how much our online lives can affect our mental health. I've got a chart on Twitter account closures (link below) - it shows the percentage of users who delete their accounts by month. The majority drop off in Jan, which makes sense after all the holiday indulgence 
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We need to start prioritizing our mental health, fam! 
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For me, I've noticed that taking a step back from social media has really helped me focus on what's important - spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies... just living life, you know? 
It's funny how sometimes we think technology is supposed to make our lives easier, but really it can be a huge source of stress if we're not careful. 
. I've seen so many friends and acquaintances get caught up in the "keep up with the Joneses" game, only to end up feeling like they're drowning in a sea of negativity and drama 
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. We're always seeing these curated versions of people's lives on Instagram and Facebook, and it's easy to get caught up in the idea that everyone else has it together except us 
. We need to be kinder to ourselves and others online, and find ways to use these platforms in a way that nourishes our minds and souls rather than draining them 
. Sam Nair's story is super relatable, I mean who hasn't felt the need to keep up with everything going on online? 
But she's right, we can get sucked into this toxic cycle of validation seeking and abuse 
. She needed to break free from that cycle to realize what was really going on inside herself 
.
. What about you guys, have you ever taken a break from social media and felt the same way? 