I want you to take a moment to think about your childhood. Remember, as a kid, how your dreams seemed endless? The sun, baking the neighborhood pavement and your feet, callused and almost burn proof as you ride your Razor scooter to your friend’s house. Scraped knees and scorpion stings (shout out to my fellow Texas natives) never stopped the busy day of being a kid. The chants of “dead man, dead man, come alive, come alive on the count of five" echo throughout the night as you ran around the trampoline, trying your very best to not get tagged by the proclaimed “dead man”. Every childhood is different, but we can all agree that it was easier back in the days of blissful innocence.
However, we have a problem. One that has a reoccurring theme.
The lack of imagination that is hindered by today’s influences such as technology. We are becoming dependent creatures of social media.
I spent a few days trying to think of a theme to write about for this article. Throughout Middle School, I had no problem coming up with something to write about. I realized what was keeping me from accessing the door to my imagination was the daily use of my phone, laptop, and anything that involved social media. Not only is this affecting children’s minds, but also the pioneer generations who witnessed the upbringing of such advancements of technology. According to Lookout's Mobile Mindset Study, an interactive survey of smartphone users, 60% of users confessed they do not go one hour without checking their phones. We make our "rounds" as we check our phones- for me, I check all three social media apps I have on my phone. Normally I start with Facebook, and I check every single recent post. Sometimes an interesting video comes up, and I might spend 5 to 10 minutes of my time watching this video. After spending up to sometimes 20 minutes on Facebook, Instagram is on the roster next. Instagram is easier to go through, but I will confess, it is easy to try to capture moments in pictures that are considered "Instagram worthy". Time spent on Instagram can be about 10-20 minutes. Last on the roster is Snapchat, and this is where I spend the majority of my time. It is fun, sharing moments instantly with friends, but it also takes away attention from that moment. In total, we could be spending up to an hour making our rounds on our phones. I am just as guilty of this dependence.
There are a few ways we can break from the dependency of social media. I have done these myself, and all have influenced me positively.
1) Delete an app for a few hours, or days
This is probably the most beneficial way you can cut away from the dependency of social media. In the past, I have had other motives for deleting an app, but during the school year I deleted a few apps in order to stay focused on my studies, and I realized how little I picked up my phone during that time. I was completely engaged with my friends, activities, and studies. Many might hesitate deleting an app because of the hassle of having to re-download the app, but I have not had any problems with downloading my apps after deleting them.
2) Have an accountability partner
Everything is better with a friend or companion by your side.
3) At mealtimes, put all phones in the middle of the table
This is especially beneficial if you are in college during mealtimes with your friends. It keeps everyone accountable and engaged in conversation without the temptations of checking your phone.
4) Do not allow your phone to charge until you go to bed
This is one I have tried recently, and it actually worked really well. Instead of rushing to the charger, it keeps you accountable of using your battery more wisely. When your phone is on 30% or less in the late afternoon, it is less tempting to check your social and waste battery life.
It takes a lot of will power and persistence to push the urge of looking through social media accounts. Can you imagine the impact it would make on our society if people spent more time engaging in conversation, and less time with heads down in pursuit of social media satisfaction? Let's make it a goal to hang up and hang out.
