After the third time I caught myself refreshing Instagram, and in less than a minute I realized I had to stop. “It’s 2:00 a.m.,” I thought to myself, irritated and tired, 'who will actually be online right now?'" But as I fought the urge to sleep, I clicked on Snapchat one last time to check if anyone checked my story before I fell asleep.
The internet holds endless possibilities. I believe we often take for granted the power in our palms, forgetting its capabilities. It’s easy to become vulnerable to what’s behind our screens, and forgetting the world outside of it. We become driven by the amount of likes our selfies can get in one night, but forget to make eye contact with the teller at the store. As long as we are complimented online for looking good, the importance of being good in person slowly becomes irrelevant.
Hi, my name is Maria and I was addicted to my phone.
Addiction makes my problem seem even less serious than it was. I was utterly obsessed. I often found myself having a panic attack over something I saw online, or from the responses by my followers. I allowed myself to become so emotionally attached to my online social world, I began to leave behind the life I really had.
I’m not here to bash on social media and technology, or to say our generation’s brains are being washed away by the powers of the internet. I will not blame technology’s advancements or major companies for producing these products. Everything that we have handed to us is given to us with the warning of caution. And like anything else, too much time with our device can become emotionally and physically deadly.
More than twice a day in the city I witness someone preoccupied by their phone and forgetting the dangers of jaywalking in a busy intersection. Come on, we’ve been taught better than that.
Furthermore, we become emotionally detached with reality, and emotionally attached to our online social interactions. Creating an empire for yourself is simpler behind a screen than in person. It can become natural to rely so heavily on and become obsessed with what our screens are telling us, that we forget it’s not really real. Though we are often reminded that everything on the internet stays forever, it’s often pushed under the cover that not everything posted online is real.
Instead of obsessing with what is written online, look up and obsess over what the world has become. The world is growing around us, and forgetting your reality is only damaging yourself. Take a break from looking at pictures of sunsets, and look at the real one itself. Find a hobby, and meet new people. Behind the walls you’ve built behind you and your device, exists a world so extraordinary no picture could ever do justice for.
