"What's your Instagram?" I asked this boy, who would later become my boyfriend.
"I don't have one," he said.
How did he not have one? And, why did he not have one? Majority of the people I know or encounter have accounts. It was deemed weird if someone was on Instagram.
I suppose the shock and confusion I felt was evident through my facial expression, so he explained himself.
"If I had an account, I would be distracted by it all day and I wouldn't get anything done at all."
The boy made a valid point, but that did not stop me from giving him a hard time, especially when he told me he did not have a Twitter account either. He might as well have lived under a rock for that matter. Instagram and Twitter have become very popular among our age group. Both social media platforms are utilized to update one's self with current events and to maintain personal relationships.
At least he had a Facebook account, which was only used for school purposes though. He also had Snapchat, but it was more for the reason of just to have one.
I did not understand how this boy could be disconnected from social media. Unlike him, I felt that it was important to always be connected with and notified about everyone and everything. All the conversations I had with people involved social media in some way or another. Even when I would talk to my mom, both of us would bring up something we saw on Facebook or Instagram.
On the contrary, it was not just my boyfriend who had little care about staying connected 24/7. My dad refused to join any platforms despite having family and friends scattered throughout the world. He would contact people either by calling them on the phone or on FaceTime. He personally talked to them rather than logging on to Facebook to see how they were doing and what they had been up to. My dad would take his time to check on them, which many of us fail to do these days.
At 2:30 A.M. on a Friday, I found myself sitting on the bathroom floor. I felt overwhelmed and stressed beyond usual. I could not point my finger on what was causing it, but I knew the feeling had become worse in the past 48 hours. Earlier in the night, my friends were bombarding me with their own problems and then, I realized none of them asked me how I was doing.
I never share most of my personal matters, but something hit me. I do not confide in anyone because no one ever asks me. I am that friend in the group who everyone assumes to be "strong" when I have my own issues too; it is just that I unable to express myself for the reasons of not being asked and not being listened to. In that case, my friends think that I have been living this good life all this time.
By 3 A.M., I made the ultimate decision to take a break for myself by quitting social media. I deleted the apps for Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat with the exception of Facebook due to family and school. I handed over my Snapchat account to my best friend to keep my streaks (since that is such a priority and I say that with pure sarcasm). At the time of my decision, he was the only one that knew. I did not plan on telling others to avoid having to explain myself when I did not need to.
I cannot tell you when I will be done with my social media detox. Within the first 24 hours, it gave me a liberating feeling that is more addicting than any platforms.
