Social media: it's your entertainment, your news source, your recipe book, and everything in between.
When my professor announced that our project would consist of giving up our most used apps for 24 hours, I thought it'd be so easy that I would voluntarily give up two apps. Although I constantly find myself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or Twitter, I thought this break from social media would be refreshing and easy. For the first few hours, I didn't mind the break- I was on my phone less, slightly more productive, and less concerned with what others were doing.
It wasn't until I finished my homework and running errands that I realized this would be much more difficult than I thought. When I'm winding down at night, I never realized that I had established a routine of checking social media before bed. I tried to occupy myself with school work or checking Facebook, but it felt impossible to be satisfied. How have I become so attached to social media platforms?
The following day proved to be even more difficult, I couldn't help but notice all of my friends on their phones, asking me how I hadn't heard of certain celebrity gossip or seen specific memes. I couldn't help but feel "out of the loop" without my precious social media. I even caught myself checking a coupon app purely for entertainment.
Although sacrificing social media was definitely a challenge, I found myself interacting with everyone around me much more. Since I was on my phone much less, I found that my friends and those around me also put down their phones. This barrier allowed me to connect more with others, instead of talking about mindless celebrity gossip or what so-and-so had just posted.
Besides conversing more with others, it was also refreshing to feel reconnected with my surroundings again. Without a screen imprisoning my mind, I was suddenly aware of the vibrant green trees, and grateful that I'm able to walk to class while surrounded by such a beautiful landscape.
Social media has become such an integral part of our lives that we may not even notice it. It influences our thoughts, interactions, and daily lives much more than we can fathom. I'm not saying it's a detriment to society, but I think we could all use at least a day without it. You'd be surprised how much it prevents you from interacting with others and taking in your surroundings. It's not easy to take a break when everyone around you is so consumed by what's happening online, but we could all benefit from putting down our phones every now and then. Next time you have the chance, I'd recommend putting away your phone and asking the stranger in the elevator how their day was.
