just stick my phone in my mouth and call it a pacifier

learning to parent myself while also parenting my kids - tech edition

I really underestimated how addictive social media is designed to be.

Even though I mostly post now to promote Substack, I’ve found it difficult to stay on top of everything else in my life. I’m noticing a tendency to use social media as a way to regulate myself, often under the guise of growing my community and working on my writing.

Over the last six months, this has become a recognizable pattern. When life feels out of control, I retreat into growth strategies and algorithm analysis.

It’s not doomscrolling, but it does leave my already overstimulated and overwhelmed mind feeling even more on edge.

When I can’t control external factors, I often shift my focus to the things I can control and begin to hyperfocus on them.

There is nothing inherently wrong with growth strategies or algorithmic analysis. But they are not feeding my soul or my creativity. More often than not, they are a way for me to seek control and comfort through frantic effort and empty validation.

I’m tempted to be hard on myself for this, but this is exactly how these systems are designed to work. The fact that I’m aware of this pattern tells me that my head is coming up out of the sand, even if only briefly. I can see how deep I’m in and how much I need to ask God for help.

I apologize if I post often about this back and forth relationship with social media. I’m processing it in real time with y’all, MomStack. 😅🤣

And to think this all began with my analog living experiment, which was ironically inspired by a social media aesthetic trend. The irony is not lost on me.

I can’t wait to see God move more in this area of my life and yours!

If this is a fight you are going against too, you are not alone 🫶🏼

Thank you for being here,

Sarah