Life Beyond Likes: Logging Off Your Screen and Into Your Life

by Isa Watson

Overview

With so much of our lives lived online, we’ve never been more connected—or disconnected from what’s most important to us.

It’s time to let go of our curated online worlds and get beyond our need for likes.

For all that we think we’re getting out of social media, we’re also getting duped. The perfection echo chamber oftentimes makes us feel like we’re getting left behind.

The truth is, life is messy, but curated online fabulousness makes it hard to let our true selves show, and it impedes our ability to have real, meaningful connections. Depression, anxiety, and suicide are also on the rise, and the virtual world is partially to blame, affecting our self-worth, our friendships, and the way we choose to navigate our real lives.

As the founder and CEO of Squad, an app company built on connectedness, Isa Watson knows firsthand why we need to learn how to be more genuine. The digital world is her lifeblood, but it’s also been an Achilles’ heel: She struggled privately with some of the biggest challenges life can throw at you, while online she seemed to be living her best life—earning high-profile accolades, taking fabulous trips, and partying with the likes of many big name celebrities. It took a personal crisis to make her realize that she needed to change.

In Life Beyond Likes, she gets real, sharing practical guidance on:

• Getting over the addiction to likes, and letting your true self shine
  
• Recognizing your own damaging habits and developing healthy ones
  
• Determining when a friendship has run its course
  

• Getting comfortable with discomfort in order to make real connections
  

Drawing from a wealth of experiences including being the youngest published chemist in the world, working as executive in the upper echelons at JPMorgan Chase, and founding her own company, Isa helps readers better understand what constitutes success, identify what’s really important, and achieve a balance between the curated online world and the enriching, emotionally nourishing world right in front of us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637740934
Publisher:	BenBella Books, Inc.
Publication date:	02/07/2023
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	664,922
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Isa Watson is the founder and CEO of Squad, a venture capita–backed social app that makes it easier than ever for you to stay in touch with your close friends everyday. More fun than texting, more private than social media, Squad is aiming to show how friends communicate across the globe. A chemist and data scientist turned entrepreneur, Isa is on a mission to make the biggest positive impact on as many people as possible around the globe—starting with this book. A true millennial, she knows firsthand the real pain social media can cause on our self-image, mental health, and friendships. After lots of therapy and hard lessons learned, she reflects back on her journey to finding balance—sharing her insight with us along the way.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Social media is a regular part of our daily lives, but we’re still adjusting to it in so many ways. Life Beyond Likes gives us the tools and tips to create boundaries with it—creating more space and time for ourselves, the people we love, and our joy.”
—Rebecca Minkoff, fashion designer and entrepreneur
 
“Life Beyond Likes gives us a refreshing reminder that failure is a gift and encourages us to be more open with each other about our hardships. That’s what brings us together.”
—Reshma Saujani, New York Times bestselling author of Brave, Not Perfect and founder of Girls Who Code
 
“Isa’s take on social media is something we all need to hear . . . Life Beyond Likes will make you feel more comfortable in your skin, and ready (excited, even) to take on the world with confidence and graciousness.”
—Mondaire Jones, US congressman
 
“Life Beyond Likes is packed full of practical, life-changing tips that help you to become more productive and love yourself more, and the tools to achieve your fullest potential in the real world instead of an app.”
—Peace Hyde, head of digital media and creator at Forbes Africa and executive producer at Netflix
 
“Isa’s take on social media is the voice and perspective we need to hear on this issue. Her approach is informative, relatable, and encouraging. She invites us to be kind (and honest) with ourselves and open with others. This is a book that will spark conversations.”
—Jamilah Lemieux, writer and culture critic
 
“Reads like a warm but direct conversation with a friend, with practical guidance and hard-core research on how to live your best real life—not the superficial #bestlife that we all see on social media.”
—Chad Dickerson, executive coach and former CEO of Etsy
 
“Life Beyond Likes was so raw and personal, it made me feel as if she was in my very living room for a girls hang out. It was intimate, heartfelt, funny, helpful, and so much more. I’m willing to bet any reader will walk away feeling this way, too.”
—Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, professor and scientific lead for the coronavirus vaccine

“Whether it feels like your entire career, livelihood, and well-being depends on keeping millions of strangers on the internet happy, or you simply use social media to keep up with friends and family, the practical suggestions Isa makes in this book will help you consider the important impact social media has on your time, self-image, and relationships.”
—Alexis Gay, comedian
 
“Isa is an inspirational entrepreneur, and her Life Beyond Likes lays out a philosophy that we all could benefit from employing in our lives. It will not only have you reflecting on your social media habits, but also how to cultivate genuine connectedness with the people around you.”
—Audrey Gelman, owner of The Six Bells and cofounder of The Wing

“Isa hits it on the nail, candidly guiding us through important topics like celebrating and leaning into our full authentic selves, learning to be vulnerable, and the power of building relationships. Life Beyond Likes teaches and unpacks 21st century life skills this generation needs. By the end, readers will feel empowered to design and live a life of their choosing.”
—Tai Beauchamp, founder of Morning Mindset with Tai and cofounder of Brown Girl Jane