It’s a weird concept to grasp. A ploy to make you more social, like social media, stabs you right in the back by putting you in the center of becoming “anti-social." Society is changing rapidly, and as the new generations of social media increase, face-to-face conversations plummet.
The thought of becoming physically anti-social due to social media never really crossed my mind until a few days ago. We spend so much time nowadays on text, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat that we really forget how to enjoy and savor the moment. Everything is documented on the iPhone and stored instantly in the cloud.
Every couple of minutes, we feel the need to unlock our phones to check for notifications and messages; even when we are with other people. Have you ever wondered why society as a whole is so consumed with worrying about how many likes we get or how many text messages we have that are unread that we forget what really matters in life? That perfect sunrise over the city, those crashing waves at the beach, the sweet sound of birds chirping to signal you to wake up, instead of the classic iPhone “Radar” tone. All of these things were prominent in our lives until technology came around, now they are negligent.
Being a teenager, social media is the center of the universe. The amount of likes or Facebook friends we have directly translates to our self worth. We think that's how it is, but it could not be more inaccurate. I have heard stories where people post at certain times in order to get the most likes on a photo on Instagram. Every time I have heard a situation like so, I am taken back a bit as to why we would depend our happiness on someone else?
Social media is inevitable living in the 21st century. From college announcements to networking for jobs, it for sure serves a part in society that helps it to flourish and thrive. We need to live. Live outside the confinement of a four inch screen and get out and enjoy the world. I challenge you to have a fun day, full of excitement and adventure and leave your phone at home. The memories that will remain will be the permanent ones ingrained in your brain from the conversations and sights you were able to witness that day. Hopefully, you will feel free and love the feeling of having an open world. Just like life used to be.
There are fewer things that tick me off more than when I am hanging out with somebody and they are glued to their phone. It is just another piece of evidence that we are just way too consumed with the device itself and what the device has to say than what the people around us have to say. And trust me, the people will be around longer than any device will.
Next time you leave the house, ditch the phone, jump in the car and breathe in the sweet earthen air that we are so lucky to have. It is a unique experience, that for one we have not experienced in a long time.
