Hi, I'm Sydney and I'm 100% addicted to social media. Facebook is where I keep up with friends I've made all over the US, as well as post albums illustrating the seasons of my own life. Instagram is where I highlight specific moments for people my own age to see. And my personal favorite, Snapchat, is where I document the funny little happenings of my day and how yummy my dinner looks. (Sorry, not super into Twitter or Tumblr, we all have our faves.) Through social media, I can hang out with people virtually all the time, and it's so entertaining!
But this summer, social media has been my natural state. Meaning, when I am not doing something, I have been on Snapchat, Facebook, or Instagram. In the car, at work, while watching Netflix. Every, waking moment.
One of my other addictions is ice cream, and while at the beach this summer, my Dad bought some Ben & Jerry's. (The best!!) Of course, it was still frozen when I took it out of the freezer, so I popped it in the microwave and hit a preset "one-minute" button, planning to take it out after ten seconds or so. Naturally, I took to Snapchat to endure the wait. One minute later, the microwave signaled the gruesome murder of my ice cream, and I had to stop, puzzled. I could not wait ten seconds for my ice cream to thaw.
Social media has KILLED waiting. There is no more mind-wandering or people-watching at restaurants, there are heads arched at crotches, eyes staring at devices. Why entertain yourself when the internet can do it for you? Why talk to an elderly person when they have nothing in common with you? All your friends, your age, with your interests, are just a touch away. We, my generation, in particular, have fooled ourselves into thinking that media time is rest time, that comparison is relaxation.
Most of us don't pursue hobbies at home, or even family time, we pursue strangers and their approval of our picture-taking skills. I say strangers because 'friends' is such a loose term. That acquaintance from English is not your friend, but on Facebook, they have the ability to hit 'like' on your picture, so they are your internet follower. They don't know you unless you pursue a real face-to-face relationship with them, where they see your face, your quirks, your flaws, and still care about you.
Have you ever tried getting to know one particular person in a BIG group setting? Half the time you can't even find them, let alone hear them talk. Social media has birthed a new kind of crowd. Your identity is your likes, your pictures, your best friends on Snapchat, except you don't know who you are, because you don't have a moment alone with yourself. You are anxious and tired because you can't unwind without looking at someone else having fun without you. Except, you finish scrolling through your Instagram feed feeling empty. You check Facebook and you don't have any notifications. Your constant source of entertainment just doesn't have anything for you today. When we hit lulls in our day, we turn to the internet to tell us they like our 'OOTD,' or what we had to say about how Leslie Knope would be a better president than Hillary. Except, it doesn't fill us up. It isn't our Savior, it is the world. (1 John 2:15)
A synonym for addiction is dependence. People with a cigarette dependence won't sit on a plane headed to Hawaii because anything over five hours apart from cigarettes is too much for them to handle. People with a social media dependence will turn around and get their phone that they left at home, making them late for work because they can't handle being alone. Both addictions are life-consuming and joy-stealing.
Today, I took a break from social media to see what life would be like without it. And let me tell you, I forgot just how long an hour is. I vacuumed the house, cleaned my bathroom, and finally threw out the trash in my car. I went to the pool, laid out, bathed my Shorkie and actually watched the clouds drifting in the sky. Cheesy, I know. I took my time, and these activities took around two hours TOTAL. Somewhere in the mix, I also ate ice cream and microwaved it for approximately nine seconds. People wake up! Memories are not made while looking at someone else's memories via Facebook. No interesting story starts with: "so I was going through my friends' Snapchat stories and...." Take your life back, and I'll try to do the same. When you're with your friends and family, be present. It's okay to post an Instagram picture past peak-liking time. Your followers can wait; your relationships and your life cannot.
What are you depending on for your joy? Or are you sacrificing your well-being, your rest, and those close to you in favor of fleeting moments of stranger-approval?
