It has only been day 3 since I left. Everything you said, I really struggled with 😢 ... Instagram has been an idol in my life & I have never been this depressed
1. a hindrance to focus 2. a hindrance to joy 3. a hinderance to worship 4. a hindrance to holiness 5. a hindrance to eternal-mindedness thanks Reagan! I've considered this multiple times, especially after mental health challenges several years ago, watching the social dilemma, reading digital minimalism by cal newport, and conversations with several friends. just for clarity, do you // will you continue to use TH-cam and/or podcasts? if so, why or why not?
Yes Newport and the Social Dilema were both huge for me. I had to cut that part out of the video to keep it from getting too long. Yes, still using TH-cam. For whatever reason, as a user, it does not draw me in like other social media does. I think part of that is because I can just ignore the algorithm and just watch the videos of people I subscribe to. Most platforms are almost all algorithm now, which is where the addiction creeps in and being exposed to content you don't want. I also like the long-form nature of it as a creator. Same with podcast. I feel like it's better suited for deeper content than other platforms.
Awesome. I went on a 6 month detox including TH-cam… back on TH-cam. Still off all other socials! Life has been awesome. Enjoyed this video. Good insight bro!
I haven't been on any socials for years and it's been grand. Don't miss it at all and sometimes I even forget they exist. I still have TH-cam but I've sometimes even questioned that. Recently I've been limiting my time on the platform.
Excellent break down! Thank you, I too use social media for ministry and struggle with dumping it... Watching this l realized I had begun to think God needed social media to spread His Word... All God's plans will be accomplished✝️
I can totally relate with that! One thing that helped me finally pull the trigger was recognizing that putting my attention on social media was actually coming at a cost. The time I spent making and scheduling posts was time I wasn't spending writing books or articles or making videos. It was a war of quantity vs. quality. I'm trusting the Lord that if I focus on creating depth, He will take care of helping that reach the right people.
This is one of the best videos or yours. I agree with its entirety. I’m not sure I can ever say the fruit from being in social media outweighs the time spent there. I keep making the statement “I need social for my business” but I’m not sure that’s true or even worth the trade. Thanks again for another solid encouragement.
Never was on it. It seemed so selfish. All about 'me'. It truly appeared to be so completely part of the 'world' that I could not see being part of that world. I may be 'in' the world, but not 'of' the world. When I see something that is so much a part of the world, I don't see how a Christian can be identified with those things that are identified with the world.
I feel like I now have permission to quit, that was a great story about running cross country. Literally the only reason I have social media at this point is to have one, I rarely use it, and if I do I get sucked into it and just like you said, I feel gross after coming out of it. I know it's going to be tough, but I'm going to start with removing them from my phone and hopefully as time goes on I won't need them at all anymore and I can just delete them. There are some friends I've made on socials, but I can explain to them what I'm doing and why, I'm sure we will find other ways to communicate. Great video!
I left this out of the video but that's the process I followed. 1. I deleted the apps from my phone 2. Later, I used an app blocker to only allow me to use them during a certain window during the day. 3. Finally, I blocked social media and stopped posting to it for 6 months. It was that last step that helped me realize I didn't need it at all, and I just wanted to delete it forever.
Yes!! Oh my gosh, I resonate with ALL of this! Especially when you said that we put ourselves in the way of tempation through social media and Solomon's words, why are we willingly walking into it? Wow! That was 🎯‼️ I feel like this is/these were the last words/video on this topic that I need to hear. It's been years that I've wanted to quit. You're the only person who I have come across that has put and kept this matter on the table and made me feel less alone with all of the thoughts I've had concerning it. Thank you! So much!
I am an atheist but I truly respect religions and beliefs, and this video is totally reasonable and true. Thanks for sharing this, I appreciate it a lot. I quit social media too a few weeks ago and it has been liberating. Cheers from Chile, Southamerica.
God bless you. I have close to 100K followers across my social media accounts and I only share Christian content but I realize how addictive these apps can be. Almost like a drug, you start focusing on how to get views. Instead of being thankful if you even touch one person. I looked at my online colleagues with bigger pages than mine and they are soooo addicted to the app. They can't put their phone down for 1 hour and that's why they keep continuing to grow on their social media. That's what the companies want. They want you to be focused on it all day. I finally decided I don't want to be apart of that cult like behaviour. I don't want to idol these apps. The only social media i will be using is TH-cam because I love it here. It's different.
I post videos on YT and Rumble and post Christian memes on reddit. That's more than enough social media for me. Probably too much tbh but I like having some community to connect with since I dont really have Christian friends in real life
Thanks for the great video, Reagan. It really makes me think about my place on social media -- what I'm putting into it and what I'm getting out of it. I have cut down people & entities I follow considerably (and I'm still paring down). I will likely get rid of at least some social media platforms that don't fit who I am. I believe, at least for the time being, that there is potential for it to be a help instead of a hindrance if I'm very discerning in its use, but I'll need to keep it on a tight leash. I'd appreciate prayers for wisdom in this!
I completely did away with social media because it really does become an addiction. All I have is TH-cam, and I have to control how much time I spend watching you tube.
Thanks for this video!! I quit social media shortly after being saved, and I was off for just over a year (permanently deleted accounts). I started new accounts when we moved, and I was back on for right about 2 1/2 years and just permanently deleted again. Social media isn’t for me. I’m already better with my Bible studies, prayer life, mental health, a better steward of my time and my home, etc.
I've deleted Facebook, LinkedIn and my old Instagram accounts (I never had Twitter/X) and I'm much happier. However I have created a new Instagram account so I can continue ministering to people online but I'm taking a measured approach to this which includes spending a certain amount of time online then logging off, etc. I still keep TH-cam so I can watch these videos.
What an excellent point! It does have a tendency to magnify the insignificant and pull us away from the pursuit of holiness. I’ll be deleting my Instagram account after this. I’ve let go of all other platforms and thought I could hold on to Instagram without any hinderances, but I was wrong. So grateful for this ministry 🙌🏽 Thanks for all the labor you put into teaching us through God’s word how to steward our lives based on Biblical principles.
This is awesome! I quit social media a couple of years ago, and I've never looked back. Quick question: how do you run your business online without social media? I'm feeling led to start an online business, and I'm having a difficult time imagining how to do it without social media. It would be very helpful if you made a video about the practical ways you connect, serve, and build your audience without social media. Thanks for all you do, brother!
Hey, brother! I am thinking about doing a video about the business side of this decision. Because that was one of the biggest things that held me back from pulling the trigger. I'll just share this for now. Before quitting completely, I did an experiment where I didn't post on my social channels for 6 months. And literally nothing changed. It turned out that social media was doing very little in terms of helping people discover Redeeming Productivity. Instead people seemed to find my work via TH-cam. my books, or my newsletter. What clicked for me is that what moved the needle was when I focused on creating things of quality and depth, not how often I posted to social platforms. And this is what I want to be doing anyway.
This is a great video! Thank you. Couldn't everything being said be applied to television? I wonder what we would lose vs what we would gain if there was no television in our homes?
That's a great point! Or video games, or any kind of entertainment. It takes a lot of wisdom and discernment, and above all, humility to say no to something that is not sinful but is simply unhelpful or distracting to your walk with Christ.
@@reagantroseso I’ve been addicted to social media but I like to use it I like to search about news and meet people, do I need to get rid of it forever cause I’m stuck in legalism niw
Lucky me I never liked social media. I even tried to get on a few platforms but always end up deleting them after a few days lol. I’m sorry but I think it’s strange to be sharing your personal life and intimate photos to a bunch of strangers and some creeps. But somehow people are okay with someone stalking them and this I’ve never understood. Watching TH-cam is like watching tv but can keep your attention too long if you let it. So even TH-cam can be addictive so you just have to prioritize God first.
My bro, thank you so much for this video. I've quit (deleted the accounts) for 4 years now. I've recently went back on creating new accounts. I feel really yucky and really hate social media. I realised went back because of a sin problem.
Thanks for this video. As a JW I agree totally on your scriptural view of wasting time on social media and the lack of benefits it brings to your self esteem. Thanks for highlighting those scriptures. I've re-opened my Instagram account in March and I'm considering deleting it as it has brought me some degree of anxiety and distraction. We are living in the last days and it would be a real shame dedicating a lot of time to the addiction of social media
Thank you so much for posting this video, and also for your podcast episode on this. It has been very encouraging, and timely as I’ve been feeling the need to remove myself from social media.
Excellent video! I recently listened to Carl Trueman speaking at Kevin DeYoung's church and he raises some interesting thoughts on the problem of Social Media and tech too. I think too often we obsess over our own lives rather than looking to see how we might bless and serve others for the glory of God.
Thanks, brother! I'll have to look that up and listen. Trueman's Rise & Triumph of the Modern self was very influential in my thinking on this subject.
This is a brilliant video by the way. Clear explanation, valid biblical points and a nice visual with the added visual clips here and there. Thank you so much for the time and work you put into creating this video. Thank you.
I had no social media for a long time. Probably about 5 years. I recently made a Facebook account and it is so much different than 5 years ago. It’s mostly reels and just entertainment that sucks you in. I felt like I needed it because of moving to a new town, but now I have it I find it is a waste of time.
Another thing I think you brought up that is so true… the hindrance to holiness. There’s a trend on TH-cam and all social media of the “I spent $$$$ on blah blah blah” and then either a review or some crazy MrBeast style video. At the heart it is just greed. That’s what draws us in.
Great points! I heard someone describe how social media "disciples us" and I though that was such a good way of expressing it. If we're on there too much, our minds will be more and more shaped into the world's values.
Hi man. I hope you remember me. We worked together at GTY for a while. We were both part of Grace Life also. I’ve been thinking about what you said in this video. I think I will quit but I will keep posting stuff on social media without being there at all. I will find a way to do that and also to be informed about what’s going on in the world. Anyway, good job. Great video.
Hey Rodrigo! I certainly remember you, brother. Hope you're doing well! There are some good tools that allow you to schedule social media posts without actually going on the platforms. As far as being out of the loop with what's going on in the world, I've found that I still tend to find out about the important stuff whether that be through friends or podcasts, etc.
I moved over to X/Twitter last year. Ended up going on a self discovery mission and healing process, as I quickly noticed the triggers designed to hook us and found God instead. This was during a time of grief but the experiences where amazing (in the real world) aside from the awful negative impacts I personally faced whilst using the platform and have struggled to leave it entirely so far. Though am using it less and less. It is like a legal drug in my eyes. It is not normal how it changes our behaviour, end up sat there randomly laughing at things you read or saw. I dont understand why they allowed to function in the way that they do. The new algorithms are being designed to mimic nature and the mind for I found easy to see through because its a fake and distorted representation of reality and these high up figures paint themselves in the image of God and expect us to worship them instead.
Interesting. I do find my level of inner peace rises when I meditate on God's word, but anxiety increases when I watch too many TH-cam videos like financial and political ones in my case. However, as I see in this video, you can't cancel all social media for I wouldn't have been able to hear your perspective on the issue. Outside of TH-cam, which I should curtail, I don't generally engage in social media anyway. Nor do I like cell phones and barely use them.
I never truly have used social media heavily. I have three related accounts but log in maybe once a year into Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. The one social media site I utilize more often is professionally oriented and I tend to log-in once or twice a month.
Have you quit or thought about quitting social media?
Yes
yep! already quit it never regretted and for many reasons, it gets you closer to God!
I know how hard it is but you'll do this! Jesus Loves You! ✨❤❤❤✝
Yes! I blocked the apps from my phone a week ago. Praying for direction and clarity moving forward.
Yes. I’m taking part of it.
Yes. Delete FB and few days later install again.
It has only been day 3 since I left. Everything you said, I really struggled with 😢 ... Instagram has been an idol in my life & I have never been this depressed
How long did you manage to stay off social media?
1. a hindrance to focus
2. a hindrance to joy
3. a hinderance to worship
4. a hindrance to holiness
5. a hindrance to eternal-mindedness
thanks Reagan! I've considered this multiple times, especially after mental health challenges several years ago, watching the social dilemma, reading digital minimalism by cal newport, and conversations with several friends.
just for clarity, do you // will you continue to use TH-cam and/or podcasts? if so, why or why not?
Yes Newport and the Social Dilema were both huge for me. I had to cut that part out of the video to keep it from getting too long.
Yes, still using TH-cam. For whatever reason, as a user, it does not draw me in like other social media does. I think part of that is because I can just ignore the algorithm and just watch the videos of people I subscribe to. Most platforms are almost all algorithm now, which is where the addiction creeps in and being exposed to content you don't want.
I also like the long-form nature of it as a creator. Same with podcast. I feel like it's better suited for deeper content than other platforms.
That is my question as well.
@@reagantrose thanks. I've definitely learned much and want to create on those platforms for deeper content.
Awesome. I went on a 6 month detox including TH-cam… back on TH-cam. Still off all other socials! Life has been awesome. Enjoyed this video. Good insight bro!
I haven't been on any socials for years and it's been grand. Don't miss it at all and sometimes I even forget they exist. I still have TH-cam but I've sometimes even questioned that. Recently I've been limiting my time on the platform.
Excellent break down! Thank you, I too use social media for ministry and struggle with dumping it... Watching this l realized I had begun to think God needed social media to spread His Word... All God's plans will be accomplished✝️
I can totally relate with that! One thing that helped me finally pull the trigger was recognizing that putting my attention on social media was actually coming at a cost.
The time I spent making and scheduling posts was time I wasn't spending writing books or articles or making videos. It was a war of quantity vs. quality. I'm trusting the Lord that if I focus on creating depth, He will take care of helping that reach the right people.
This is one of the best videos or yours. I agree with its entirety. I’m not sure I can ever say the fruit from being in social media outweighs the time spent there. I keep making the statement “I need social for my business” but I’m not sure that’s true or even worth the trade. Thanks again for another solid encouragement.
Never was on it.
It seemed so selfish. All about 'me'.
It truly appeared to be so completely part of the 'world' that I could not see being part of that world.
I may be 'in' the world, but not 'of' the world.
When I see something that is so much a part of the world, I don't see how a Christian can be identified with those things that are identified with the world.
Religions folk, spiritual folks, and the sheep...all saying the same thing.
Excellent
Fantastic video, Reagan. Whether we will follow you in your decision or not, your reasons are compelling and worth consideration.
I knew in my heart all along God is not with social media and all it's communicating garb and mistakes causing strife among many brethren etc
I feel like I now have permission to quit, that was a great story about running cross country. Literally the only reason I have social media at this point is to have one, I rarely use it, and if I do I get sucked into it and just like you said, I feel gross after coming out of it.
I know it's going to be tough, but I'm going to start with removing them from my phone and hopefully as time goes on I won't need them at all anymore and I can just delete them. There are some friends I've made on socials, but I can explain to them what I'm doing and why, I'm sure we will find other ways to communicate.
Great video!
I left this out of the video but that's the process I followed.
1. I deleted the apps from my phone
2. Later, I used an app blocker to only allow me to use them during a certain window during the day.
3. Finally, I blocked social media and stopped posting to it for 6 months.
It was that last step that helped me realize I didn't need it at all, and I just wanted to delete it forever.
Yes!! Oh my gosh, I resonate with ALL of this! Especially when you said that we put ourselves in the way of tempation through social media and Solomon's words, why are we willingly walking into it? Wow! That was 🎯‼️ I feel like this is/these were the last words/video on this topic that I need to hear. It's been years that I've wanted to quit. You're the only person who I have come across that has put and kept this matter on the table and made me feel less alone with all of the thoughts I've had concerning it. Thank you! So much!
Man, this is excellent. I need to take a break from social media.
I am an atheist but I truly respect religions and beliefs, and this video is totally reasonable and true. Thanks for sharing this, I appreciate it a lot. I quit social media too a few weeks ago and it has been liberating. Cheers from Chile, Southamerica.
God bless you. I have close to 100K followers across my social media accounts and I only share Christian content but I realize how addictive these apps can be. Almost like a drug, you start focusing on how to get views. Instead of being thankful if you even touch one person. I looked at my online colleagues with bigger pages than mine and they are soooo addicted to the app. They can't put their phone down for 1 hour and that's why they keep continuing to grow on their social media. That's what the companies want. They want you to be focused on it all day. I finally decided I don't want to be apart of that cult like behaviour. I don't want to idol these apps. The only social media i will be using is TH-cam because I love it here. It's different.
I post videos on YT and Rumble and post Christian memes on reddit. That's more than enough social media for me.
Probably too much tbh but I like having some community to connect with since I dont really have Christian friends in real life
Thanks for the great video, Reagan. It really makes me think about my place on social media -- what I'm putting into it and what I'm getting out of it. I have cut down people & entities I follow considerably (and I'm still paring down). I will likely get rid of at least some social media platforms that don't fit who I am. I believe, at least for the time being, that there is potential for it to be a help instead of a hindrance if I'm very discerning in its use, but I'll need to keep it on a tight leash. I'd appreciate prayers for wisdom in this!
I completely did away with social media because it really does become an addiction. All I have is TH-cam, and I have to control how much time I spend watching you tube.
Thanks for this video!! I quit social media shortly after being saved, and I was off for just over a year (permanently deleted accounts). I started new accounts when we moved, and I was back on for right about 2 1/2 years and just permanently deleted again. Social media isn’t for me. I’m already better with my Bible studies, prayer life, mental health, a better steward of my time and my home, etc.
I've deleted Facebook, LinkedIn and my old Instagram accounts (I never had Twitter/X) and I'm much happier.
However I have created a new Instagram account so I can continue ministering to people online but I'm taking a measured approach to this which includes spending a certain amount of time online then logging off, etc.
I still keep TH-cam so I can watch these videos.
What an excellent point! It does have a tendency to magnify the insignificant and pull us away from the pursuit of holiness. I’ll be deleting my Instagram account after this. I’ve let go of all other platforms and thought I could hold on to Instagram without any hinderances, but I was wrong. So grateful for this ministry 🙌🏽
Thanks for all the labor you put into teaching us through God’s word how to steward our lives based on Biblical principles.
So glad to hear you found it helpful. And thank you for the encouragement!
This is awesome! I quit social media a couple of years ago, and I've never looked back. Quick question: how do you run your business online without social media? I'm feeling led to start an online business, and I'm having a difficult time imagining how to do it without social media. It would be very helpful if you made a video about the practical ways you connect, serve, and build your audience without social media.
Thanks for all you do, brother!
Hey, brother! I am thinking about doing a video about the business side of this decision. Because that was one of the biggest things that held me back from pulling the trigger.
I'll just share this for now. Before quitting completely, I did an experiment where I didn't post on my social channels for 6 months. And literally nothing changed. It turned out that social media was doing very little in terms of helping people discover Redeeming Productivity. Instead people seemed to find my work via TH-cam. my books, or my newsletter.
What clicked for me is that what moved the needle was when I focused on creating things of quality and depth, not how often I posted to social platforms. And this is what I want to be doing anyway.
This is a great video! Thank you.
Couldn't everything being said be applied to television?
I wonder what we would lose vs what we would gain if there was no television in our homes?
That's a great point! Or video games, or any kind of entertainment. It takes a lot of wisdom and discernment, and above all, humility to say no to something that is not sinful but is simply unhelpful or distracting to your walk with Christ.
@@reagantroseso I’ve been addicted to social media but I like to use it I like to search about news and meet people, do I need to get rid of it forever cause I’m stuck in legalism niw
Thanks for this thoughtful video! A lot for me to think about…
This was really good. So good, in fact, that I think it was the push for me to finally delete Facebook. Went through the deletion process today.
Same
Lucky me I never liked social media. I even tried to get on a few platforms but always end up deleting them after a few days lol. I’m sorry but I think it’s strange to be sharing your personal life and intimate photos to a bunch of strangers and some creeps. But somehow people are okay with someone stalking them and this I’ve never understood. Watching TH-cam is like watching tv but can keep your attention too long if you let it. So even TH-cam can be addictive so you just have to prioritize God first.
Thanks for this Reagen. I got off not too long ago. 3 months or so. It is significant for me
My bro, thank you so much for this video. I've quit (deleted the accounts) for 4 years now. I've recently went back on creating new accounts. I feel really yucky and really hate social media. I realised went back because of a sin problem.
Thanks for this video. As a JW I agree totally on your scriptural view of wasting time on social media and the lack of benefits it brings to your self esteem. Thanks for highlighting those scriptures. I've re-opened my Instagram account in March and I'm considering deleting it as it has brought me some degree of anxiety and distraction. We are living in the last days and it would be a real shame dedicating a lot of time to the addiction of social media
Thank you so much for posting this video, and also for your podcast episode on this. It has been very encouraging, and timely as I’ve been feeling the need to remove myself from social media.
All I needed to hear was that I had the permission. Wow…
Amen! I love this ❤ This was great confirmation
This video is excellent. Exactly what ive been going through 👌
Man… so good. I wonder if I need to take the leap!
More people need to hear this!
Excellent video! I recently listened to Carl Trueman speaking at Kevin DeYoung's church and he raises some interesting thoughts on the problem of Social Media and tech too. I think too often we obsess over our own lives rather than looking to see how we might bless and serve others for the glory of God.
Thanks, brother! I'll have to look that up and listen. Trueman's Rise & Triumph of the Modern self was very influential in my thinking on this subject.
This is a brilliant video by the way. Clear explanation, valid biblical points and a nice visual with the added visual clips here and there. Thank you so much for the time and work you put into creating this video. Thank you.
I had no social media for a long time. Probably about 5 years. I recently made a Facebook account and it is so much different than 5 years ago. It’s mostly reels and just entertainment that sucks you in. I felt like I needed it because of moving to a new town, but now I have it I find it is a waste of time.
Another thing I think you brought up that is so true… the hindrance to holiness. There’s a trend on TH-cam and all social media of the “I spent $$$$ on blah blah blah” and then either a review or some crazy MrBeast style video. At the heart it is just greed. That’s what draws us in.
Great points! I heard someone describe how social media "disciples us" and I though that was such a good way of expressing it. If we're on there too much, our minds will be more and more shaped into the world's values.
Awesome video. Excellent job. Praise God.
Amen and Amen.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this video man.
Hi man. I hope you remember me. We worked together at GTY for a while. We were both part of Grace Life also. I’ve been thinking about what you said in this video. I think I will quit but I will keep posting stuff on social media without being there at all. I will find a way to do that and also to be informed about what’s going on in the world.
Anyway, good job. Great video.
Hey Rodrigo! I certainly remember you, brother. Hope you're doing well! There are some good tools that allow you to schedule social media posts without actually going on the platforms. As far as being out of the loop with what's going on in the world, I've found that I still tend to find out about the important stuff whether that be through friends or podcasts, etc.
Good idea!@@reagantrose
I moved over to X/Twitter last year. Ended up going on a self discovery mission and healing process, as I quickly noticed the triggers designed to hook us and found God instead. This was during a time of grief but the experiences where amazing (in the real world) aside from the awful negative impacts I personally faced whilst using the platform and have struggled to leave it entirely so far. Though am using it less and less. It is like a legal drug in my eyes. It is not normal how it changes our behaviour, end up sat there randomly laughing at things you read or saw. I dont understand why they allowed to function in the way that they do. The new algorithms are being designed to mimic nature and the mind for I found easy to see through because its a fake and distorted representation of reality and these high up figures paint themselves in the image of God and expect us to worship them instead.
Interesting. I do find my level of inner peace rises when I meditate on God's word, but anxiety increases when I watch too many TH-cam videos like financial and political ones in my case. However, as I see in this video, you can't cancel all social media for I wouldn't have been able to hear your perspective on the issue. Outside of TH-cam, which I should curtail, I don't generally engage in social media anyway. Nor do I like cell phones and barely use them.
TH-cam is also social media
Understood, but TH-cam is slightly different than your usual Facebook, Instagram and X.
I got off except YT is social media too
It seems like a breeding ground for passive aggressive and narcissistic behavior.
💯💯💯💯❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥🕊🕊🕊🕊✝️🇻🇦
Does Social media not have eternal value? support groups like suicide prevention, don't they have eternal significance
I never truly have used social media heavily. I have three related accounts but log in maybe once a year into Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. The one social media site I utilize more often is professionally oriented and I tend to log-in once or twice a month.