People think it is outrageous when I tell them I do not have Wi-Fi at my home. I’m always met with remarks such as “Well, what do you guys do?” or “Oh my gosh, I don’t think I could live like that!”. The things people say surprise me; is it really that big of a deal? My answer is no. I think it is beneficial that my family has limited Wi-Fi access and it is actually one of my favorite things about my house. Even though I miss some of the trends and fail to view many snap stories (sorry Snapchat friends!), I enjoy the detachment from the distractions and the addictiveness that accompany social media. Without these impediments, I’m able to focus what really matters to me.

I used to live in a house with Wi-Fi and let me tell you, saying that I was always on the computer was an understatement. I basically lived in our office and only came out to eat or to scroll through social media on the couch. During my freshman year of high school, my parents announced that we were moving. They brought us to look at our new home; a small house on the river. I was absolutely ecstatic, and I couldn’t wait to live on the water and go swimming whenever I wanted to. My dad said that there was one little quirk about the house: it didn’t have Wi-Fi, or even cable for that matter. I was a little annoyed at first. I didn’t want to give up all of the activities I would normally do online like watch videos, play games, or video chat with my friends. However, after we finally moved in, I realized how none of those things mattered as much as I had thought.

The change that I saw take place within my family was, in my eyes, truly remarkable. We have always been close, but it took reducing the time I spent on my devices to realize how much I really loved spending time with them. Instead of being on our devices all of the time, we actually hung out and, get ready for this, had conversations with one another. Not that we didn’t spend time together before we moved, but now we were bonding and connecting more than we ever had. Now, I have to go to the public library if I want to watch a video or stay on Instagram for more than 5 minutes. I’ve found that when you have to go out of your way to use social media or anything online, you realize how it isn’t really that important to you. You realize that you would rather spend that time with your family.

Now, returning to my house after being away at college, I am refreshed to not be as focused on what is happening in the world of social media. Yes, it can be boring at times, but I wouldn’t trade where we live for the fastest internet connection in the world. Had we not moved to our new house, I don’t think that I would be as close with my family as I am today. I would probably just sit in my room, scroll on my phone, or watch Netflix all day rather than have coffee with my mom or spend time with my dad after work. Not to mention, I wouldn’t know all of the details of my siblings lives; I probably wouldn’t care as much if I had shows to watch or Facetime calls to answer.

There really is something to be said, in this day and age, for not being engulfed in the wave of social media. So many times, it drags us away from what we really should be focusing on. It causes us to waste precious time that could be spent doing things that are so much more worthwhile. Social media distracts us; it clouds our thoughts and disorders our priorities until we can’t help but check our phones, for the hundredth time, to see who posted what.

Social media has its advantages and disadvantages. I’m grateful that it allows me to keep up with the lives of my family and friends. However, I’m equally thankful that my lack of Wi-Fi keeps me from becoming obsessed with my phone and social media. My family is so important to me and I cherish my relationship with them very deeply. It took getting away from social media for me to realize just how much they mean to me. There is a beautiful world out there that we can only see with our eyes, not on a screen. There are actual people that we can take the time to get to know better, our families included! Social media is convenient, but living our lives and spending our time with the people who really matter is priceless.

We are in the midst of the Christmas season. It is a time of visiting with family and friends and experiencing the joy of life. Instead of posting and checking to see what everyone else is up to, live in the moment and take in the Christmas cheer! Play with your cute baby cousin, open your presents (remember to say thank you!), eat Grandma’s famous cookies, and spend time with those friends you haven’t seen. Do not let your need to update the social media universe get in the way of how you spend this precious time. It’s a season of giving to and cherishing one another. Some of the best gifts we can give, that truly show how much we care, are time and attention.