I want you to think back to the longest amount of time you've gone without having WiFi, or any connection at all to the outside world. How long ago was that? The last time I was disconnected was when I was traveling for nearly 24 hours. 24 hours without refreshing my phone to see if I still had my Snapchat streak with that one person. Maybe I'm exaggerating, and I'm sure you've heard it many times before, but we are watching our lives go by behind these screens of doom.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to showcase our most beloved moments by posting them online. We are only human, after all. What's not okay is becoming so preoccupied with making our lives look perfect online, when they are actually falling short in real life. It's like looking at someone's Instagram feed and living vicariously through their photographs. I've done this before and I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, but it shouldn't consume all of your time. You are simply wasting those precious minutes when you could be doing something amazing, too.
After spending the past month in Europe, where I don't have any service unless there's WiFi, I have noticed that I've become more observant of what's happening around me. I'm no longer able to hide behind my phone in uncomfortable situations. And you know what? It's actually been one of the best things that's ever happened to me. It's got me thinking, "Was I really this oblivious before?"
Even though I’m in a different country and even though everyone speaks a different language, I’ve noticed that all humans are very similar. Girls still walk down the street in their white Converse and boys still watch in hopes that one of them will notice their longing glances. To me this is absolutely fascinating because you would think the way people acted would be completely different, but some things are exactly the same.
Once I finally return to a WiFi zone, my phone lights up with notifications, as if I’m suddenly stepping into another world that I had neglected for the past few hours. Quickly I see the familiar names pop up on my screen and for once they don’t seem that far away. I smile, knowing that I haven’t missed anything important. Putting down your phone makes you realize that people are still thinking about you, just as much as you are thinking about them.
It is okay to post that picture you took of the sunset outside the airplane window because you thought it was Instagram-worthy. But what you must not forget is the candid conversation you had with the complete stranger sitting next to you on the flight. I’m glad you got that amazing shot off the top of the skyscraper. But don’t forget the feeling of your heart pounding through your chest as you ran down the stairs, praying security wouldn’t catch you.
What I’m trying to say is that it’s okay to show that you’re having a great time doing things that you love. The main reason I post pictures on Instagram is to inspire people and to get them to try new things. At the same time, don’t get caught up in creating this perfect image and take the time to appreciate where you are right now. There is no better way to experience a certain place than to physically be there. Not having WiFi isn’t the end of the world. Look at it as a blessing instead of a curse. It’s like the universe is telling you to go out and experience the world for what it really is.
