49. Living in a Digital World

What if social media had an off switch at 5 PM, just like a traditional workday? Imagine a world where our evenings were free from the curated perfection and constant connectivity that often distort our reality and erode our happiness. On today's episode of the Freedom First podcast, I, Justin Arrington, dive into the paradox of social media—a tool with the power to build businesses and connect people, yet one that can also distort our reality and erode our joy. I share my personal experiences and struggles with balancing its allure with the need for genuine, human connection. We'll explore the often unseen lies and the curated perfection that fills our feeds, and I reflect on how setting time limits, though challenging to enforce, might be beneficial for our mental health and relationships.

Join me for a candid conversation about the reality behind social media and its impact on our lives. I encourage you to rethink your habits and consider the positive outcomes of being more authentic online. Whether you have a large social media presence or are just an occasional user, there's value in sharing your true self with the world. My hope is that this episode inspires you to live your life to the fullest and take steps to ensure social media doesn't overshadow your real-life experiences. If today's discussion resonates with you, don't forget to share the podcast with friends, family, or anyone who might benefit from this conversation. Let's work together to foster genuine connections and live authentically.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome back to the Freedom First podcast.
This is Justin Arringtonbringing you another episode.
This is episode number 49, 49days in a row that we've been
dropping a new episode for you.
In this podcast, I bring youlittle tips and tricks that you
can start applying into yourlife today.
That'll lead you to living alife on your own terms, and that
is my whole purpose of thisshow.
So if you guys get any valuewhatsoever, all that I ask is

(00:42):
that you share the show withsomeone who you feel like would
benefit from it.
That's my whole intention.
So if you guys get any value,share it, share it on social,
share it with friends, family,whoever that may be.
Guys, today we're going to talka little bit about social media
and the lies behind social media.
I feel like it's super easy,especially in today's day and

(01:04):
age, to just get caught up inand, honestly, just all the BS
that happens on social media.
Everybody's always out there toyou know, paint the perfect
life and and just you know it'sall fake.
I think there's honestly, very,very few people who are willing
to put out their entire life,you know, to the fullest, and to

(01:24):
tell the whole truth.
I think social media is a greattool, it's something that has
honestly made me a lot of moneyin my business and I'm super
grateful for social media, butat the same time, like it's
honestly something that isdestroying humanity.
I'm just going to be put it outthere.

(01:45):
I think social media isdestroying humanity.
I saw something the other daythat said, you know what, what,
if social media was, uh, was anine to five and it, you know
five o'clock, it shut off, likewhat?
What would our lives look like?
And I've, honestly, I've beenthinking about that and it's
something that I, I kind of wishwas a thing.
Um, you know, I don't thinkingabout that and it's something

(02:07):
that I, I kind of wish was athing.
Um, you know, I don't know howmany times there's been where,
you know, I get, I sit down onthe couch and I get caught up on
my phone and you know, my, mykids say something and, to be
honest, like I, I really don'tknow what they said because I
wasn't paying attention.
And, um, I do wish that thesocial media had time limits and
you know, they were very, verystrict.
I know we can put limitationson our phone, but it's very easy
to, you know, hit that uh,ignore, ignore my time limit for

(02:31):
today button.
I know I'm guilty of thatsometimes and, um, you know,
gosh, social media can be suchsuch a cool thing but also just
so demeaning.
Um, you know, it's somethingfor me like I've had to unfollow
a lot of people that I look upto.
Uh, you know, just because theythey may be in a place where I
wish I was, or, you know, Ihaven't quite hit that standard

(02:52):
yet and it's hard for me to topull up social media every day
and see, you know, all their,their traveling with their
families and they're they'redoing all these, all this cool
thing that you know they'rehonestly like living my dream
life.
And I'm super happy for himthat there's nothing wrong with
that because, like this wholeshow preaches, like I'm, I'm all
out to live life to the fullest, I want to do everything that I

(03:15):
possibly can to to live mydream life and I feel like
social media honestly sucks thejoy out of that for a lot of
people.
And I don't know I this is justsomething that's kind of been
on my mind over the last fewdays.
That's why I wanted to talkabout it and, um, you know, I
think that there are a lot oflies behind social media.
Um, I, you know the truth isreally hard to get out of people

(03:37):
sometimes and that definitelydidn't help help humanity at all
.
Um, so, guys, I, I, I really, ifyou guys are big on social
media, or if you have some sortof social media presence, even
if you don't, like, I encourageyou to.
You know, put put your life outthere a little bit.
I know, not everybody may wantto do that, but there can be a
lot of really cool things tocome from.

(03:58):
You know, just posting yourday-to-day stuff.
You know your ups and yourdowns, your wins, your losses,
whatever that may look like.
Um, and I'm not saying that youhave to be on social media to
be successful.
Like, I, I would say I have asemi presence on social media.
Like, I'm not on there all thetime.
I, I've honestly cut back onhow much I post on social media.
Um, but yeah, guys, like reallyreally take that into

(04:22):
consideration.
Like, how much time are youspending on there?
Um, um, but yeah, guys, likereally really take that into
consideration.
Like, how much time are youspending on there?
Um, you know, and and are yougetting caught up in the lies of
.
You know everybody's living out, living a perfect life and you
know my life just sucks.
And you know where do you fallon that spectrum?
Like, can you see behind allthe BS or do you get caught up
in it Like, um, I knowinfluencers nowadays are a big

(04:42):
part of social media and there'sa lot of people that follow
people that you know make it outlike they're living.
You know the best life when,deep down maybe, they're
struggling.
You know that there's I don'tknow that's that fine line of
like when is too much enough.
You know, just to social media,like I said, I believe that it

(05:04):
is a super cool tool and I'vehonestly used it to, you know,
make money for me and my familyand it's I'm not knocking it,
you know a hundred percent.
But I do think that it issucking the joy out of a lot of
people and out of a lot offamilies and I, uh, I don't know
it'd kind of be cool to go backto like early two thousands
when it, when it wasn't a thing.

(05:24):
You know that that was when Iwas in the middle of my
childhood and you know even thethought of Instagram or even a
smartphone back then, like itwas honestly like, well, that
would be crazy, like that,that's what we would, you know,
imagine like the year 3000 tolook like.
But here we are.
You know, everybody has a worldof knowledge, a world of uh, a

(05:46):
world of fantasy, I don't knowwhatever you want to call it um,
at our fingertips, and I thinkit's something that we really
need to take a look like howmuch time are you spending on
there every day?
Um, you know, do you spendingon there every day?
Do you get caught in the scrollwheel where you just keep
scrolling and it's to the pointwhere you're not even scrolling

(06:07):
to look at anything, you're justdoing it because it's a habit,
and I'm guilty of that, and Ihonestly I hate to admit that
that I am addicted to socialmedia, as I'm sure a lot of you
guys are.
So, guys, take a step back fromsocial media.
Maybe you need to take a socialmedia fast, get off of it for a
few days and maybe see how youfeel.

(06:27):
I've done that in the past andI think that's something that I
need to do again.
It's a good time to really stepback, focus on your goals and
really think about what'simportant in life, and, um, I
think that that's what it's allabout.
So, guys, just make sure thatyou're limiting your time on
social media, make sure thatyou're getting on there for the

(06:47):
right reasons, and, uh, you know, I'm not saying that it's it's
bad to scroll for a few minuteshere and there, um, you know,
just to get kind of keep caughtup with friends, family and
things like that.
But, guys, that's my tip of theday for you Limit your time on
social media, make sure you'reusing it for the right things

(07:08):
and, guys, that's it Sevenminutes.
I like to keep these episodessuper short and I hope you guys
received some sort of value fromthat, and, if so, all I ask is
that you just share the show.
Thanks, guys, we'll talk to youlater.