I don’t know how I got to this point, but here I am, admitting that I have a problem. It's the first thing I do each morning when I wake up. It’s the last thing I do before going to sleep. I even find myself doing it during class -- I just need to check social media. I’m constantly checking Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, even Twitter. What is even on Twitter anymore? I don’t know but I need to see it. I acknowledge that I have a problem so I decided to see if I could go five days without using any social media. This is what happened.
Monday.
9:02 p.m. I almost checked Insta on accident. Two minutes in.
9:10 p.m. I unlocked my phone swiped back and forth a few times and locked it because I had no purpose.
11:33 p.m. I just got a notification that my sister just tagged me in a picture on Facebook. Probably of my newborn niece. Currently regretting my life decisions.
12:14 a.m. What does one do before bed without social media? I guess I'll just get a good amount of sleep or something.
Tuesday.
10:45 a.m. It's been a little more than 12 hours and I am going strong if I do say so myself. Granted, I was asleep for eight of those hours.
2:10 p.m. I never realized how much of a basic white girl I was until I found myself wishing I could snapchat my coffee.
3 p.m. Update: I actually took solid notes in class today for the first time all semester. Possibly because I wasn't on Facebook. Who knows, though?
9 p.m. A moment of silence for all the snap stories that just expired without me seeing them.
Wednesday.
Summary of today: “So how’s the whole ‘no social media’ thing going?" (twitches).
10:07 a.m. I have a stalker picture of a hot guy at the gym because I couldn't use Snapchat, so now I'm just creepy.
7:06 p.m. I got a notification for a Snapchat from this guy I like. I didn’t open it. Now, I’m committed.
11:35 p.m. I have never checked my email so much.
Thursday.
10:21 a.m. What does one do during commercials?
1:25 p.m. It’s been less than three days and I have written three articles, read one book, can name my last 20 photos in my photo album by memory, and am getting really good at Sudoku.
8:06 p.m. I think I am getting use to this. This is not that bad.
Friday.
Things I wanted to Tweet but couldn’t:“I wish I could take banana peels, rub them all over myself, and smell like bananas all the time.” My roommate.
Saturday.
8:02 p.m. Currently, in Disney with my best friend while she takes Snapchats and Instas. On the bright side, my phone is still at 95%.
8:24 a.m. Must. Post. Disney. Pics.
10:08 a.m. T-10 hours and 52 minutes until I can check. Not that I’m counting, or anything. I don’t have a problem.
Starting this, I thought I would spend so much less time on my phone, pay more attention in class, not procrastinate as much and conclude this article with an inspiring "put the phone down and get your life together" speech. Instead of being on Instagram for hours, I read a book when I should have studied for my stats quiz (sorry, Mom). So, really, I now understand that I am not a social media addict. Hi, my name is Alanna, and I am a procrastinator.
That is besides the point, though. I realized without social media I wasn't just behind on stalking people's lives; I was out of the loop in almost all of my campus involvements. Basically, you need a happy medium. Sometimes, we get so caught up in snapchats and posting artsy Insta pics that we don’t really pay attention to what’s actually going on around us. Don't get addicted, but know it's okay to need social media just a little bit.
