Why Adventure Physio Has Left Social Media

When I started Adventure Physio, all the business and marketing advice was centered around social media- specifically Meta and TikTok.

I had already stopped using my personal Facebook and Instagram accounts regularly and decided that it would be worth the compromise to use business accounts on these platforms despite not enjoying spending my precious time there.

Over the years I used them in a very personal way- connecting with new friends, other business owners, doom scrolling when I wasn’t at work, generally being as addicted as most people are in their personal use.

I told myself it would be worth it to speak directly to the people who would be interested in Adventure Physio but the personal cost was mounting.

Not to say I didn’t enjoy the benefits- I’ve connected with so many people I’ve been able to help as a physio which is the dream.

I’ve met amazing friends who I collaborated with professionally and spent time with in my personal time. I’ve been inspired and motivated by the content I’ve consumed, as well as the times I’ve been left feeling insecure, “not enough” and depressed- a pretty normal experience from the sounds of it.

In the last year especially, it has become apparent that the cost definitely outweighs the benefits on a personal level.

What changed? I have become aware of some pretty shit things that are directly attributed to social media- high suicide rates in teenagers, social disconnect in all age groups despite the illusion of being connected through socials. This horrific story of a Meta chatbot that invited a man to meet in person, leading to his death.

No one is holding these giant corporations to account and they don’t appear to be taking any steps to mitigate the cost to people’s lives. While individual governments are beginning to regulate the use of social media in young people, it’s largely left to parents and individuals to manage the risks of using services which are designed to keep us as addicted as possible.

There are documentaries about how social media services hack our brain chemistry to keep us there. I’ve actually been too scared to watch it because I knew I’d want to stop using socials but wasn’t ready yet.

By continuing to use socials in the way I was, I feel complicit.

I experimented with a month off socials to see if there was any negative effect for Adventure Physio and…. there really wasn’t much. One month turned into two and then three. That was the decider.

The algorithms don’t support me in actually reaching the people I can help with my services- 3% of people who have opted in to see what I have to say by following me see what I post. Meta doesn’t support me and my business, why was I continuing to support it?

When I write it out like this it seems obvious, I don’t enjoy using it, supporting these companies doesn’t sit well ethically with me, it doesn’t really support my business anyway…. Why is this such a big deal to stop?

Still, leaving social media feels like a scary step. I’ve been so conditioned to believe that I need it for people discover Adventure Physio that I haven’t been able to believe it was possible to continue without it.

I was genuinely concerned this could be the end of my business. After months of not engaging with social media, it’s funny to see that past me felt brave in not using it. I feel a bit sorry for that version of myself that was so scared step away from something that was actively harming both myself and other people.

I have been deciding on how to step away and a clean cut of deleting my page doesn’t actually feel right. When you have ethical concerns about a service, it’s OK to shake the tree from within. My solution (for now) is to leave my profiles open, set an auto reply to any incoming messages about how to contact me and leave a series of posts like a website landing page explaining why I’ve left and how to get in touch.

I’m playing with ideas that I might still run ads from time to time. I’d rather intentionally pay money for a service than unintentionally pay for the service with my time, attention and free labour in the form of content creation. I think there’s a world where I will use youtube or other social media services if it feels more ethically aligned.

I feel like labeling the use of socials as unethical is a bit intense. What if I want to go back? Does that mean that my ethical beliefs are as good as a soggy wet noodle? Will I lose some credibility if I come crawling back to my tech overlords? Will people who chose to continue to engage feel like I’m judging them? (I’m not, we all have different reasons for doing different things.)

I don’t really have answers for these questions. All I can do is remind myself I’m human, I get to make decisions and change my mind. I get to give myself grace. I get to experiment. I get to be brave and also it’s OK if there’s a limit to my bravery.

I get to laugh at myself for the absurdity that leaving social media feels flipping brave of all things. I’ve jumped off cliffs, swam with sharks, mountain biked down scary rocks, walked through the desert alone for two weeks!!! I’ve moved states in Australia 7 times but leaving social media feels brave???

All I have left to say is if this strikes a chord and you want to talk it out with someone who gets it but don’t necessarily have all the answers, please reach out. It’s not our fault they’ve hijacked our brains and made us addicted.

I’m looking forward to exploring what occupies the space that leaving socials (specifically Meta) has left, both personally and for Adventure Physio 💚

This article was conceived, researched, and written only by Stephanie Lock, without the use of AI.