Freeing my iPad of Social Media is the best thing I've done

Whether you're an Apple fan boy, or a die hard Android enthusiest, we can all agree tablets are great. I've recently come to realize, however, how much more I can enjoy my iPad when I exclude certain distractions from it. Namely, social media. 

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram - our digitial social lives are calling out for our attention ALL the time. I've come to realize the benefit of not only finding a time and place for social media, but also a platform for it.

Like most, my phone is with me pretty much wherever I go. And this is what I generally use for things like Twitter and Instagram (I ditched Facebook months ago - yet another hugely gratifying decision, but is a story for another day). My iPad is also with me quite often, but I tend to use it for different things.

For instance, though my iPad and iPhone are capable of the same applications, I much, much prefer to use my iPad for reading a book, checking out a comic book, or catching up on saved blog posts. There's something to be said about having that screen real estate for reading. It was far too often though that these activities would get distracted by social notifications. Not only notifications, but it's more peaceful reading a book now knowing I'm not subconciously looking for that next great quote to tweet, or that new blog post that should get shared.

I can enjoy a good news article or book way more now than before when I knew my social media was just around the corner.

Sure there are plenty of other ways to get distracted. Maybe you're more prone to spend hours on YouTube, or browse all the latest podcasts (who are you?). On the other hand, there's a good chance you have more self control than I. But the fact of the matter is, I can enjoy a good news article or book way more now than before when I knew my social media was just around the corner. I've even gone to disable the majority of notifications on my iPad to simmer down distractions.

Differentiating what my iPhone and iPad are used for has greatly improved my enjoyment of each device. Maybe you're different and you enjoy having all the same apps on your phone and your tablet. More power to you!

As silly as a post this is, it's something that has dramatically increased my productivity and media consumption enjoyment. Try it out. You'll probably be glad you did!