Where Do You Put Your Attention During A Social Media Fast?
My recent social media fast lasted ten days. The longest time I’ve been unplugged from the traditional social channels was in 2020, when I stayed away from Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Co. for nearly three years. The results? Learning and creating in overdrive.
We’ve heard it time and time again: Where attention goes, energy flows.
The moment I cut the umbilical cord attached to Big Tech’s social networks, I redirected my energy towards new projects:
I learned Linux and de-googled my phone.
I transitioned to blockchain-based platforms.
I created a bunch of new courses and training materials.
Etc.
During my last social media fast, I wrote a couple of fiction stories, created the content for my upcoming Energy Training, and spent even more time with my family.
Tbh, I’m not a social media fan anyway; so going on a fast isn’t a big deal for me.
The only traditional social media app on my phone is Instagram (including Threads, which I don’t use). Because I don’t want to link my Insta account to my Facebook page and manage everything through the FB Business Suite, I need the app to post to Stories and Highlights and update links in my profile. The moment I find a proper alternative to perform these tasks via a web solution, I’ll uninstall the app immediately (applies to Threads as well).
The Social Media Leash
Mid 2011 - This is when I joined Twitter and Facebook.
Everyone was signing up for all kinds of freebies and email lists. Ads were clicked left, right, and center. It was the Wild Wild West. We were trying to figure out the ins and outs of the platforms.
I dove deep into running Facebook ads and became one of the 100K advertisers on Facebook globally. Those were the days of the advertising nerds who used the Power Editor to harness the network’s granular data, and I was the captain on one of those ships. Then Facebook launched its Instant Articles, and I joined that party, too. Getting paid for my blog posts alongside big players like National Geographic and receiving monthly checks from Facebook is something I’ll never forget.
Fast forward to September 2026, and the social media playground has changed entirely.
Ads are way more expensive and less effective than they used to be.
Combining Twitter ads (now X) with Facebook ads to provide a seamless advertising experience for your audience is a thing of the past.
Whereas in 2011 the networks were a genuine place for humans to connect and build relationships, now you have bots, AI agents, and whatnot sharing weird content.
And I won’t go into the changes made to the algorithms because that’s an absolute waste of time.
Do you see why going on a social media fast is nothing special for me?
Attention, Addiction, and Algorithms
We like to blame outside factors like the algorithm for social media addiction, while ignoring that these companies’ role is to increase dividend payouts for their shareholders.
It’s a business game presented as a social cake.
Getting this basic concept doesn’t require a PHD degree. Put in simple terms:
Your attention equals money.
Furthermore, your attention delivers a vast array of data points that feed these data-harvesting machines we refer to as social networks. If you peel back the layers and take a closer look, you understand there’s nothing “social” about these tech behemoths’ platforms.
Use these social media tools wisely. They are powerful weapons, and when deployed with intent, they can catapult your business.
Take back control of your “attention”. It’s priceless. It’s your precious energy and life force. And if you fancy a social media fast, go for it.
💎💎💎 Krisz Rokk 💎💎💎
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Original content without using AI.
Originally published on my business blog at StrengthInBusiness.com