Why I'm "eating an elephant" in 2020

This year, I slowly began to roll out a new project that I'm incredibly passionate about: a new site that aims to help people have a healthier relationship with social media.

HOW IT BEGAN

In 2019, I found myself becoming spread much too thin on many personal accounts I was managing. I also happened to hear of numerous friends and acquaintances who have grown tired of everything related to social media.

I began researching about this topic and decided to close out some of my other personal social accounts to make this a focus.

Almost immediately, I was bombarded with information about social media and mental health or well-being.

Check out some of these headlines:

• Does social media drive eating disorders?

• Influencers admit that Instagram is bad for body image

• How to handle social media highs and lows

• Leaving social media would not necessarily make you happy

• Why I quit Twitter and you should too

Given the nature of this information, I wondered how my "day job" factored into all of this. After all, I made my living over the last decade marketing products, businesses, and services online. I still make my living that way.

What could I do as a marketer to help social media become a less toxic place?

MY SOCIAL HABIT

In researching content for my new site – My Social Habit – I was inundated with information that agreed with my thesis: most people do not have a healthy relationship with social media. Period.

Thus, my 2020 "word of the year" comes into play already, and it's not even 2020.

Rather than a word of the year (2019's was ease – ask me how THAT went), I've got a theme. It's eating an elephant. That idea and visual is what's going to drive my activity moving forward.

Changing attitudes and perceptions about social media use isn't an easy feat. There is so much I have on my plate in regards to activity that actually pays the bills. This work will have to be done in my own time.

Rather than feeling overwhelmed at the behemoth-ness of it all, I'm taking it little by little. I'm also forming my own healthy habits when it comes to social media use.

2020 AND SOCIAL MEDIA USE

For many years, people have managed their personal social media channels with little-to-no thought at all. I believe in 2020, that will change.

That individuals begin to realize how potent digital activity is, especially as it relates to overall well-being.

To follow my studies on responsible social media use, be sure to follow My Social Habit on social media. You may be surprised to learn just how rampant abuse of these platforms is. You may not be surprised, either.

This is the year. This is the year we break free of unhealthy social media habits: as marketers, as users, as influencers, as parents, as content creators.

It can't be done all at once, however. We have to take it little by little. We have to eat our elephants.