Let me start off by saying that like most people in this world social media has influenced the way I live my life. I can’t decide whether I’m happy or sad about that realization – only time will tell. But over the past few months I have realized that I don’t like being dictated by applications that are not adding anything of substance to my life.
Sure, the list of perks regarding social media is a mile long. For starters, it helps you keep in contact with people that you typically do not get to see and it is a great way to promote yourself. But I have noticed that we tend to get lost in the image of ourselves that we want the world to see. We create this persona that we obsess over and eventually it takes over our lives. I know a ton of people my age that obsess over a number of followers they have on Instagram and a number of likes they received on their latest picture. In reality, are those really the most important milestones in our life? Do we really want to let a measly number control the way we live?
People are beginning to lose touch with their everyday lives due to this constant obsession that we have adopted. Everyone is constantly on their phone checking social media, texting their friends and we have forgotten how to live in the moment and it’s really quite sad. There are probably endless opportunities that have been missed because our noses have been buried in our phones. It’s a problem that I’ve become more aware of recently and I’m slowly trying to change the way I depend on my phone.
There is nothing urgent enough that requires our attention every second of the day. What happened to sitting outside and enjoying a book? What happened to taking a walk and really admiring the world around us? There is so much out there and I feel as if we, as a society, are not taking advantage of what is right in front of us and it’s something that needs to be changed.
This does not just apply to the younger generations - older people are also guilty of this crime. If the issue isn’t addressed, nothing is ever going to change. Growing up I feel as if I wasted so much time in the house because I was glued to my electronic devices and that is not something I’m proud of admitting. I don’t want anything tying me down anymore and I’m tired of it.
It’s time to unplug ourselves and open our minds like we used to. We have to realize that it’s okay to put down our phones and log off social media for a few hours. It’s okay to leave our phones behind once in awhile. We can’t be so dependent on these devices anymore, we’ve already let them control too much of our lives.
