To Protect My Creative Mind, I Left Social Media - Recovering from Social Media Fatigue

Why I Quit X (Twitter), Even with Over 1,000 Followers

Recently, I made the decision to quit X (formerly Twitter) completely.

This turning point prompted me to reflect on what I’ve realized after stepping away from social media, how my mindset has shifted and how I - as a freelance designer, now think about my relationship with media.

Before quitting, I had around 1,000 followers.

I had made connections on X with fellow freelancers, friends and inspiring mentors. But in the end, I deleted my account entirely.

There was a time when I was so hooked that I’d scroll the timeline constantly, posting and checking updates every spare moment.

But ever since Elon Musk took over and the platform became “X,” the feed has been flooded with low-quality, engagement-hungry accounts—so they are even called "impression zombies." in Japan!

The timeline was filled with shallow replies and strangely translated AI-generated comments, making it harder to find useful information.

One of the main reasons I quit was also tied to the rise of AI-generated content, which has become more accessible thanks to tools like Chat GPT.

We now see AI-generated images and videos everywhere, and this toxic relationship with AI started to make me feel anxiety and Social Media Fatigue.

As a creator, the thought that my past or future work might be used without consent for AI training is unacceptable.

Copyright laws haven’t caught up to the speed at which AI is evolving.

It's terrifying to think how quickly things are moving while creators and legal protections are being left behind.

To be clear, I’m not entirely anti-AI.

I use Chat GPT for editing, and I use AI tools like Photoshop’s background removal features in my daily work.

But I do my best to avoid outsourcing everything to AI and I always double-check information from multiple sources before trusting anything.

I’m constantly trying to figure out how to coexist with AI in a responsible way.

Still, social media platforms are now saturated with AI-generated content.

It’s getting harder to tell what’s real, and misinformation is spreading fast.

People often believe what they see without researching, leading to meaningless arguments online.

Watching that unfold made me realize how much time I was wasting on social media and how little value I was getting from it.

Creators and Social Media Fatigue

I understand that social media can be a powerful marketing tool for designers and creators.

Especially for small business owners or freelance designers like me, showcasing your work and growing your audience through social media can feel essential.

But on social media, you can't help but see what others are doing.

Sometimes I gain inspiration from other artists and creators, but more often, I find myself comparing.

The boundaries between me and others start to blur, and I end up asking myself:

• “Why is this person so much better at drawing than me?”

• “They’re putting out high-quality work every week, and I’m struggling just to come up with an idea.”

  
  

It’s a downward spiral of comparison and self-doubt.

It even causes burnout, leaving creators feeling overwhelmed, unfocused, and creatively stuck.

The thing is—I don’t know their backstory. I don’t know what they’ve been through, what they’ve seen, or how much time they’ve dedicated to improving. Still, I find myself measuring my worth against theirs.

This is the kind of social media anxiety that quietly drains your energy.

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Why Freelance Designers Benefit from Owning a Personal Blog

When I’m in that mental space, constantly comparing myself to others, it becomes impossible to create.

That’s when I decided to focus on writing blog posts like this one instead on my own website.

This blog lives on the LITTLE FUJI website, which I run myself. It’s a small, personal space but precisely because of that, it feels safe.

Now that I’ve stepped away from social media, I appreciate that more than ever.

There’s no feed full of others’ voices.

I can write what I want, when I want.

And I don’t have to worry about follower counts or likes.

If you’re reading this now, you probably stumbled upon it through a web search, or maybe you’re curious about LITTLE FUJI or about me, Ayaka Fuji.

This kind of closeness of being genuinely present is one of the greatest joys of having a personal blog.

Unlike ad-filled blogs or content written just for SEO, I value authentic experiences.

I personally avoid media filled with ads, especially those where it's clear the content was written just to earn clicks.

(That said, even many news sites now require subscriptions or are cluttered with ads, which makes browsing more frustrating than ever…)

Japanese blogging platforms like Ameblo or Livedoor often overwhelm you with ads. Is it just me who finds them hard to read?

Lately, I’ve come across a lot of obviously AI-written posts too and I close the tab immediately. 😂

This blog is built on Wix Studio and as long as I keep paying for my premium plan, it will stay ad-free.

Impression of Video Content: Pros and Cons

There’s no denying that video content has taken over—you see it on YouTube, TikTok, and more.

I personally watch YouTube almost every day, whether it’s background noise while I work, or to learn something new.

But I don’t believe everything needs to be a video.

Sometimes I get asked to make service introduction videos, but in many cases, the message could’ve easily been summarized in a single document. Let’s be honest—most people don’t watch promo videos from start to finish.

Even a 1-minute video can take hours (or days!) to create.

And because time is limited, many videos end up relying on generic illustrations or icons that barely convey the product.

In those cases, a simple one-pager or presentation might actually do a better job.

Documents can be searched, shared easily, and referred to later. You can find exactly what you’re looking for, like a price chart without needing to scrub through a timeline.

Videos have timestamps, sure, but they often require an internet connection, and telling a teammate “please watch from 1:30” isn’t very practical.

When Video Contents Does Work

That said, video works wonderfully when it’s the best way to explain something like how to use a product or app.

Trying to describe UI with screenshots and explanations across multiple slides can become overwhelming.

In those cases, a quick screen recording is much more effective.

That’s why tutorial videos or video-based courses are so popular, they’re just easier to follow.

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Reading Books Makes You More Creative

But with all this video content everywhere, we’re reading less.

Even without captions, videos can deliver so much information through visuals and sound. It’s easy to skip ahead or speed through.

The more we consume passive content like “1-minute summaries,” the shorter our attention spans become.

No wonder short-form videos are so popular. There's even a term now: “TikTok brain.”

In the midst of this overwhelming flood of fast content, many of us experience a kind of social media anxiety : the feeling that we’re always behind, always consuming but rarely creating, and struggling to stay focused or inspired.

Books, on the other hand, ask more from you.

With books, you have to think. You have to use your creativity.

They don’t spell everything out, your mind does the work.

Books help you think deeply. They give you space to interpret and reflect.

Reading is both passive (taking in text) and active (building ideas in your head). That combination builds your creativity and your Creator’s mind.

Books have been passed down for centuries, like treasured, preserved and remembered, because they offer something that fast content never can.

The Books That Expanded My Creativity

Looking back, I’ve always loved reading.

As a child, I devoured fantasy and sci-fi:

Magic Tree House (Mary Pope Osborne), Animorphs Series (K.A. Applegate), Deltora Quest (Emily Rodda) and so on.

Lately, I’ve been reading crime novels by Pierre Lemaitre, like Alex, and Japanese fantasy-horror by Kotaro Tsunekawa, such as Autumn Prison, Star Player.

What I Learned After Leaving Social Media

These stories—these books have had a huge influence on how I think and live as a creator.

When I read, it’s like diving into a quiet world that only I can see. The world exists only in my mind, through my own interpretations.

Reading helps me understand myself better. It’s a space that no one can interrupt.

It’s silent, peaceful and calm world like under the sea.

So rather than scrolling through social media, I want to spend more time reading to rediscover my creativity, nourish my imagination and reconnect with myself.