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Life Beyond Likes
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.
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.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published February 2, 2023
5 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 3, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and BenBella Books for the review copy!
When did we begin to think so much about what others think of us? That is what this book is about. About our culture, our society and our expectations.
The book is called “Life Beyond Likes - Logging Off Your Screen and Into Your Life” and is written by Isa Watson. The title completely describes what this book is about.
The author has some very good points in this book. I am sure you will learn a lot from this book. And you will learn some things you definitely do not expect from this book.
She also talks of the meaning of a friend. What is a friend? What is a friend on social media compared to in “real life”? Is there a difference?
Failure is a huge theme as well. How do we handle failure? How can we feel better when failing? Lots of questions are answered in this book.
There are lots of great tips in this book. You can not help but get inspired when reading this one. Lots of guidance and a beautiful setup.
When did we begin to think so much about what others think of us? That is what this book is about. About our culture, our society and our expectations.
The book is called “Life Beyond Likes - Logging Off Your Screen and Into Your Life” and is written by Isa Watson. The title completely describes what this book is about.
The author has some very good points in this book. I am sure you will learn a lot from this book. And you will learn some things you definitely do not expect from this book.
She also talks of the meaning of a friend. What is a friend? What is a friend on social media compared to in “real life”? Is there a difference?
Failure is a huge theme as well. How do we handle failure? How can we feel better when failing? Lots of questions are answered in this book.
There are lots of great tips in this book. You can not help but get inspired when reading this one. Lots of guidance and a beautiful setup.
May 11, 2023
The book has good calls outs and made me think more deeply about my relationships. The tone is clunky in that it bounces from an unfiltered chat with a girlfriend to a research paper for school. Watson could appeal to a broader audience if she withheld her political preferences and biases.
May 12, 2023
|| B O O K R E V I E W ||
We are back with another book review and we are going to talk about the book #LifeBeyondLikes by @isadwatson this book is about underarms and learning that it’s so much more to life than what you see on Instagram, Facebook,twitter,TikTok. In this books she breaks down ways to help you maximize your time on social media and when to know she to take a break.
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She talks about how sometimes those photos that we posted way back in high school could effect us in the future. She talks about how she fit stated in the business. She talks about How when she was younger she got beat up by the police. This story broke my heart. But I felt like every story time she gave us really did a good good job of tying the chapter together.
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I rated this book 3/5 stars because I felt like a lot of what she was telling us we already know, it was more of a refresher. I did learn some new things that I didn’t know but for the most part everything that she talked about I knew or heard before. This book is a good refresher. Would I read this book again yes. When I start to feel like I’m depending on social medial more. I listen yo this book ok audio and I enjoyed listing to the book.
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We are back with another book review and we are going to talk about the book #LifeBeyondLikes by @isadwatson this book is about underarms and learning that it’s so much more to life than what you see on Instagram, Facebook,twitter,TikTok. In this books she breaks down ways to help you maximize your time on social media and when to know she to take a break.
.
.
.
She talks about how sometimes those photos that we posted way back in high school could effect us in the future. She talks about how she fit stated in the business. She talks about How when she was younger she got beat up by the police. This story broke my heart. But I felt like every story time she gave us really did a good good job of tying the chapter together.
.
.
.
I rated this book 3/5 stars because I felt like a lot of what she was telling us we already know, it was more of a refresher. I did learn some new things that I didn’t know but for the most part everything that she talked about I knew or heard before. This book is a good refresher. Would I read this book again yes. When I start to feel like I’m depending on social medial more. I listen yo this book ok audio and I enjoyed listing to the book.
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March 14, 2024
A pretty good book where the author is also someone who occasionally struggles with feeling alone and not enough when going through social media.
Isa does a good job of bringing in practical advice, but I would add that the advice (at least to me) is pretty obvious. I was hoping there would be something else/more to some of the advice she would give.
She brings in some sources, like Brene Brown, that are incredibly insightful and helpful and a few others that don't seem like they would fit for this kind of a book. Not saying those individuals' life experiences don't matter, just saying that bringing in more individuals from the medical fields and others who have also studied the effects of social media would be more helpful and insightful.
The interviews she brings in are good and contain some nougats of wisdom as well. My only qualm with those is I think placing those in an appendix section of the book would be better.
A decent book that serves as a validation that some of us aren't alone and crazy. I don't believe most will find the solutions groundbreaking either, but some might.
Isa does a good job of bringing in practical advice, but I would add that the advice (at least to me) is pretty obvious. I was hoping there would be something else/more to some of the advice she would give.
She brings in some sources, like Brene Brown, that are incredibly insightful and helpful and a few others that don't seem like they would fit for this kind of a book. Not saying those individuals' life experiences don't matter, just saying that bringing in more individuals from the medical fields and others who have also studied the effects of social media would be more helpful and insightful.
The interviews she brings in are good and contain some nougats of wisdom as well. My only qualm with those is I think placing those in an appendix section of the book would be better.
A decent book that serves as a validation that some of us aren't alone and crazy. I don't believe most will find the solutions groundbreaking either, but some might.
November 4, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Isa Watson's journey and voice made it very fun to read, and her insights into social media being toxic -- without falling into the pit of "It's just YOUR fault that it bothers you. Just log off and you'll be fine" was insightful and educational. I would definitely read more work from her.
What keeps me from giving this five stars is the way the tone never quite manages to stay in one place. It either feels like chatting with a friend on the phone, or like a research paper. The transitions from chapter-to-chapter also felt really rough, and the book doesn't so much "end" as come to an abrupt halt, with what felt like platitudes instead of what a life beyond likes actually might look like.
But, despite the faults, this was a great book that I would highly recommend to others. Especially millennial/older Gen Z that are struggling to navigate their physical and online lives together in a healthy manner.
What keeps me from giving this five stars is the way the tone never quite manages to stay in one place. It either feels like chatting with a friend on the phone, or like a research paper. The transitions from chapter-to-chapter also felt really rough, and the book doesn't so much "end" as come to an abrupt halt, with what felt like platitudes instead of what a life beyond likes actually might look like.
But, despite the faults, this was a great book that I would highly recommend to others. Especially millennial/older Gen Z that are struggling to navigate their physical and online lives together in a healthy manner.
March 6, 2023
An amazing book by an amazingly dynamic woman. It was fascinating how Isa puts things into perspective and really helps the reader process how social media has changed our lives and experiences. Realizing the impact it has on us and that we can and should take a step back at times to live in the moment. Highly recommend this book, especially for those of us who have lived through the evolution of social media.
April 9, 2023
A brilliant and insightful take on the impact (and vise-like grip) social media has on us all. The author, Isa Watson, explores what truly brings us joy in life. I’m privileged to know Isa personally and professionally, and her take on such an important subject almost demands the reader to examine our relationship with social media, the good, the bad and the ugly, and challenges us to find our own joy. 10/10 - highly recommend.
March 6, 2023
This book gave me LIFE! I have never been more in depth with a book until this one. The insight on how social media can control people’s minds is seen as an after thought until you read this book. We need to cherish our happiness in life rather than look for validation of peoples opinions and this book breaks down every detail on how to do that. It is so good I might restart it when I finish.
June 4, 2023
Agree with fellow reader Chelsea Serrano on this one.
I appreciate the author sharing parts of her personal story. She also offered good reminders about being intentional with friendships and social media. However, the sources felt inconsistent and sometimes the advice was a bit wax poetic. She did have some practical ideas, but would have liked to have read more of that content.
I appreciate the author sharing parts of her personal story. She also offered good reminders about being intentional with friendships and social media. However, the sources felt inconsistent and sometimes the advice was a bit wax poetic. She did have some practical ideas, but would have liked to have read more of that content.
February 15, 2024
This book is a masterpiece.. the ability, ways in how she described the era we're living now with social media, and the importance of how to use it wisely it's impressive and very accurate . It helps you to realise how social media can be turmoil and have a negative impact on our self-confidence and self-esteem. I enjoyed til last page , not boring. Highly suggested
March 15, 2025
This book is so frustrating bc I’ve heard Isa discuss some of these topics before, and they were so moving, inspiring and powerful. This book was all over the place, and she only referenced studies that prove her point but not the others that talk about the good side/use of social media. I’m so annoyed lol
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews