Before school let out for the summer, I came home one weekend and sat down in my living room. My brother also happened to be home from college, and I decided to catch up with him and my mom. After about ten minutes of conversation, the room went silent. I didn't think anything of it, but after checking Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook--even though I knew there wasn't anything new on there-- I realized that all three of us had been on our phones and that's why conversation had ceased.
Since then, I've noticed how much time people spend on phones, tablets, and computers. Don't get me wrong, I'm as pro-technology as the next girl of my generation, but when did our phones take the place of genuine, face-to-face interaction? Instead of talking to one of your friends about what she did over the weekend, you can just go look on her Facebook. Want to know what your other friend is doing? Chances are, it's on her Snapchat. Did you miss the killer sunset? Go check Instagram, it's on there in about five different filters. You can even get your favorite celebrity's tweets sent to your snazzy new watch.
Sure, there's nothing wrong with documenting your whole life on social media, but when you quit actually living your life, there's an issue. There's nothing more sad than seeing a group of friends hanging out or a couple on a date and each person is hunched over, staring at a screen. I know it's become a sort of nervous habit for people to check social media websites when awkward situations arise--guilty!--But more and more people are letting their lives be consumed by a tiny computer. Remember, the first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem.
I’ve decided that I’m going to try to limit my time on my phone and computer. Instead of checking for nonexistent notifications on Facebook, I can read a book. The time I spend on Twitter could be better spent clearing out my closet that’s needed to be organized for almost seven years. I’d hate to look back on my life in 10 years and realize that instead of actually enjoying moments, I was too concerned with documenting them so other people can see all of the cool stuff I’ve done.
So the next time you find yourself walking through a beautiful garden, I hope your first thought isn’t to document it for social media. It’s so much better to stop and smell the roses than it is to stop and “snap” the roses.
