My friend Sonny has a new book out today — Instagods.
First off, let me just say this first and foremost:
Sonny and I go pretty far back. He was back and actually blogging around the time I started (i.e. 6 years ago). He has continued to do so for many years since. I respect the man a lot. He has a very deep way of thinking that was very prevalent in his last book, Of Tyrants and Tellers, and Instagods continues this trend. He’s poured everything into each of these titles, and Instagods explains in great detail many of the things that most people can sense is wrong with social media and the Instagram scene…
…but cannot articulate themselves.
Hence, it may provide you some real answers.
I’m Currently On Vacation In Croatia
And for the second time this year, I’ve stepped away from the majority of social media while doing so. I cannot put into words how free I feel when I do this.
Away from all the Twitter drama, constant put-downs, etc, etc.
It’s scary how much my ability to focus dwindles when I’m on it. And scary how much quicker my ability to write long-form blog posts and get real work done returns when I’m not using social media.
Absolutely terrifying.
Social media has become a necessary evil for many people in the world.
Whether it be for…
- Business (because it’s the fastest and cheapest way to get exposure)
- Dating (because girls will think most guys who don’t have a ‘Gram are weirdos)
- Just fitting in…
It’s really hard not to be involved.
And you can’t even imagine if at my late-20s age, I feel the pressure, how difficult it would be for any teenager to resist. Mold ’em young, they say…
I remember everyone getting on MySpace, and then Facebook. You’d be a weirdo if you didn’t have profiles. And now, it’s Instagram and other social media platforms. If you’re not on them, you’re a loser. Most people have a crippling desire to fit in with the crowd. Hence, on the platforms they go, their brains are turned to mush and they’re re-programmed, and the cycle just continues…
Sonny goes into all of this, and much more, in Instagods.
Don’t believe me?
Look at some of these stats inside Instagods.
General Social Media Statistics
- As of January 2019, the world population is 7.7 billion.
- The Internet has 4.2 billion users.
- There are 3.4 billion active social media users.
- The average person has 7.6 social media accounts.
- The average daily time spent on social media is 135 minutes, which represents a 50% increase since 2012.
- Social media users grew by 320 million between September 2017 and October 2018.
- Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp handle 60 billion messages a day.
- Every second, 11 people use social media for the first time.
Like it or not, social media is here and it is here to stay. It will evolve, but it’s hard to imagine with half of the world’s population actively involved…that it will ever “go away”.
Final Thoughts
This is a short review, but I’d highly encourage you to pick up a copy of Instagods.
Many of the questions and frustrations many of us deal with – as a result of social media, directly – will be explained inside of it’s pages. I would caution you against thinking this is a “fix”. In fact, when I spoke with Sonny on the phone recently, I asked him…
“So, in all of this…did you ever find a real…I don’t know – solution?”
Then I paused, and took my question back, realizing…there is no solution.
Social media is here to stay, and it has permanently affected both our online and offline interactions, and will continue to do so. We can only make the best of what we have. I am confident that Instagods will help you understand and decode much of the psychology behind social media, and use it to your advantage in a variety of avenues.
Back to that phone call:
Sonny oozed passion about this work.
And trust me, a work like this is a labor of love…
Anyways, again, highly recommended by Yours Troubly.