*Scrolls through h Instagram. Checks Snapchat. Opens Twitter. Checks Snapchat. Opens Facebook. Closes all apps*
*Sighs from boredom... Ten minutes later, repeats cycle.*
Come on, we are ALL guilty of the social media cycle. Whether it’s when you first wake up, or in the middle of class, or even right before you go to bed, we all have the habit of scrolling through our social media. Why? Most times it is because we are bored. Sometimes, these apps are useful… sometimes. However, we mostly use them to pass time, or in situations we find awkward, or while that boring, old professor is talking in that boring college course you are being forced to take. There comes a time when we all need to just put our phones down and pay attention to the outside world. Yes, there is a world outside of your phone, trust me, and it’s actually quite nice…
I was out to eat with my boyfriend a few weekends ago, and without realizing it, I had begun scrolling through Instagram, double-tapping and commenting on my friends’ pictures. He became furious with me and asked if that’s really how I wanted to spend our nice evening together. I immediately put my phone in my purse and apologized thinking, “Wow, I would have been so upset had he done this to me, so why did I think it was okay to do it to him?” I felt horrible and could not quit thinking about it, even long after dinner was over.
The next week I tried my hardest to not scroll through everything multiple times a day, yet somehow, I still found myself being attached to my phone; always having it my hand, or at least in my sight. Isn’t that just sad? The fact I could not even sit through a 55 minute Spanish class without checking my phone? Even as I write this article, I have scrolled through Twitter once. We all really need to stop being so attached to the world we live through our phones and start paying attention to the one outside, and here’s why:
We are going to miss something we may not get back.
Let’s say I was preoccupied by my phone the day my boyfriend asked me to “go steady” (I know, old school term) with him and I just completely ignored him? Then I quite possibly could have missed out on having the best year of my entire life *so far* Or if I would have been on Instagram the day I first heard my nephew talk- I would have been so upset had I missed that. Or let’s say walking to class today I was on Facebook and missed that I didn’t have the “walk” sign, and I walked out into oncoming traffic. Well, I would have made a really crappy hood ornament, that’s for sure.
So you see? Social media is running our lives, and quite possibly ruining it. We are missing out on life’s precious moments- ones we may never get the chance to experience again. It’s so important to “unplug” (CHAARG term) ourselves from our biggest distractions. Take a walk, grab a book, or even study outside. Do something that challenges your minds. Grab your family or friends and do something fun together. Get out in the fresh air and enjoy it while you still can.
