Thriving Through the Thirties

^{Chronicles of a Social Media Breaker}

I recently decided to take a break from social media. I deactivated my Instagram and deleted the app—along with WhatsApp—just to make sure I wouldn’t be tempted to sneak back in. And for a while, it was going well… until I found myself knee-deep in another kind of “social” platform. One that’s oddly interactive, dangerously addictive, and definitely expensive. Yep, Amazon quietly became my new social media of choice—and let’s just say, sa te (ka) fini trè mal.

So here I am, back on here, ready to start sharing nonsense again—this time free of charge, for both of us. But before I dive back into the chaos, I wanted to talk a little about disconnecting, and why I truly believe everyone should try it at some point. Chronicles of a Social Media Breaker explores the triggers behind my disconnections, the boundaries I’m building, and the peace I’ve found away from the noise. It’s not just a digital detox—it’s a mood, a mindset, and a low-key revolution against the constant scroll.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve probably noticed that I tend to vanish from time to time. Poof! One day you’re DMing me reels, and the next, you’re left talking to yourself. My breaks are usually short-lived, but each one has taught me something valuable and helped me reset in its own way.

The reasons behind those breaks? Well, they’ve varied. Full transparency—I’m a little dramatic. There, I said it. So yes, some of those hiatuses might’ve been a (slightly theatrical) cry for attention. Maybe I was secretly hoping a certain someone would send me a pigeon voyageur… or okay, more realistically, an email.

But over the years, I’ve stepped away for more grounded reasons too. Once, I realized I was spending way too much time online and needed a hard reset. Another time, I was feeling low and didn’t want to overshare on the internet; logging off was the best way to keep my peace… and secrets. And then there was that time I kept stumbling across content that felt… unnecessarily triggering. Let’s just say it was not something I had signed up to see, and definitely not something I needed messing with my peace. I wasn’t even snooping, I swear. It just appeared, uninvited, algorithmically gifted to my fragile little heart. So yeah, disconnecting was the only sane thing to do. I needed to breathe, reset, and maybe delete a few memories along the way.

My most recent break, though, was inspired by something else entirely. It came after a group session at work with a mental health specialist. It wasn’t a long session, but it was impactful. I remember a few colleagues sharing how they cope with everything going on in Haiti—by limiting their news intake and stepping away from constant updates. And in my head, I was like: Wow. Lucky them. Because for me, media is part of my job. I don’t get to disconnect… or do I?

That thought stayed with me all day. And eventually, I decided—maybe I could disconnect, at least a little. So, I started with WhatsApp. That’s where most of my news comes from—news channels, group chats, disturbing images, long text chains filled with raw updates from all over the country and beyond.

But the truth is, while staying informed is part of my job, I don’t need to do it all day long. So, I turned off WhatsApp, and shifted to doing my news reports in the evening. If I had to work for three to five hours, then those hours would be my news time—not every second of the day. I didn’t need to carry all that weight around with me 24/7.

Then came Instagram. While I love following lifestyle content and feel-good posts, I also follow a ton of news outlets—Haitian and international. So, off it went. And guess what? My work didn’t suffer. At all.

Honestly? I think everyone should try disconnecting, even if it’s just for a day. Trust me, the news will still be there when you come back. And spoiler alert: the world will keep turning without your immediate attention.