The Moment Something Snapped
A lot of people are talking about 2016 and posting old photos from ten years ago, while others are focusing on manifestation and how to make their dreams come true this year.
As I watched the wave of 2016 nostalgia — and those dog-ear filters I still find annoying — I didn’t feel nostalgic at all. I felt oddly detached from it all. It was just another train everyone seemed eager to jump on, even those who don’t really post anymore.
This time, I chose not to.
Two weeks into the new year, I realised that all the effort I had put into protecting my privacy, while trying to keep my sanity intact, was quietly going out the window. New features had appeared — features I had never heard of, let alone agreed to.
Something inside me snapped.
Enough.
I Won’t Get on That Train Anymore
I had had enough of features being sneakily activated without giving me a choice. I was tired of wandering through the maze that social media settings have become, trying to figure out how to disable or remove things I never asked for.
That was it. I was quitting social media — or at least everything that isn’t business-related. I would come back when things were back to normal.
Or maybe I wouldn’t.
While others were busy digging out old photos, I went into a deactivation frenzy.
There would be no 2016 memorabilia for me.
It isn’t a year I feel particularly nostalgic about. Mum nearly died that year, and everything felt heavy and stressful. I’d rather let 2016 remain a distant blur and count my blessings instead — because mum is still here, defying all medical predictions.
I can’t bring back 2016 even when looking at old photos, but I can make plans for 2026 and, hopefully, turn it into a far more meaningful year — one without dog ears filters, or forced nostalgia.
What the Real Nostalgia Is About
Like many people, I watched Stranger Things, and it brought me back to a time before mobile phones. A time when children were outside, playing, riding their bikes, fully absorbed in the moment. There was a lightness then — a joy that feels harder to access today, with ongoing conflicts, megalomaniac world leaders, inflation, and constant uncertainty.
Maybe watching Stranger Things was the catalyst.
It made me wonder what it would be like to live in a world without social media again.
We’ve grown used to constantly checking our phones and computers, posting filtered photos, and waiting — for a like, a comment, a post, an update, or some news. But let’s be honest: this isn’t what life is meant to be about. It is merely killing time. It’s pulling us away from our true purpose.
A Social Media Diet
So what if we all decided to go on a social media diet? We are told all those accounts, apps, features, etc. are meant to help us keep in touch with our friends, but in reality a lot of what we are now shown are ads and so-called related posts because we once put a like on something. I do not need to be awarded a “badge” for commenting somewhere on a couple occasions: a random comment doesn’t mean I am a “fan” of someone or something.
There are so many ways to keep busy — ways that make our days feel fuller, richer, and more meaningful.
Fun Without Phones
Here are a few ideas for what you could do instead of endlessly scrolling through strangers’ photos and videos.
Read a book and get lost in another world
Bake a cake (or any treat) with your children
Do a quick workout — air punches, marching in place, or stretches
Enrol in a free course (Alison offers thousands to choose from)
Spend quality time with friends, in person
Book a distant Reiki session with a highly-rated practitioner
Make a list of goals and take the first step toward one
Step outside and breathe in some fresh air
Practice tapping or other mindfulness techniques
Print your photos and create albums to hold memories
Go hiking and reconnect with nature
Sit in a park and just observe the world around you
Play cards, board games, or puzzles with loved ones
Listen to music — really listen, without distractions
Burn incense and enjoy the calm it brings
Sort through your wardrobe and refresh your space
Take cooking lessons and try something new
Buy a plant and nurture it
Go to the cinema and enjoy a film uninterrupted
Declutter your home, one small corner at a time
Learn about hygge (or other mindful living approaches) and implement it
Join a club or community group that sparks your interest
Life is happening right now, away from the screen.
And sometimes, the most radical thing we can do is step back — and return to ourselves. Maybe this is what all the talk of bringing back 2016 is really about.
Daphne
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