“Why?” “Wow, that must be so hard.” “Good for you, but I could never do that.” These have been common responses from my peers when I told them that my New Year’s Resolution was to not check Snapchat stories nor post them. In past years when the clock hit midnight, I would vow to eat healthier or work out more — goals so broad they almost lost their meaning. Everyone has a different relationship with social media, but mine was getting to the point of abuse. It was taking over my life.
We live in the age of social media. I am so proud to be a part of a generation made up of so many savvy, “artsy” and passionate young people. Overall, social media has made a positive impact on my life. I post pictures I feel good about on Instagram, see what pictures my friends post on Facebook from their college experiences and incessantly check the News app to stay on top of what is happening in the world around me.
However, making a Snapchat story was no longer something that I wanted to do—it was an obligation. If there was no evidence on Snapchat that I was in attendance at an event, I might as well have not even gone. I quickly recognized that I wanted to start living my life from experience to experience, from one beautiful moment to the next, rather than from Snapchat story to Snapchat story. Although I have cheated and checked from time to time, I have overall gone one month without constantly checking and posting Snapchat stories. I can honestly say I have never felt so liberated from a system that seemed to control my life, both mentally and socially.
Without this one aspect of social media, I feel as if I am able to live in the moment and separate myself from the chaos of life every once and a while. I can focus on the value of that moment. Because college students are constantly surrounded by endless amounts of social media, taking time for ourselves has been pushed aside. When, in reality, this personal time is needed for us to reflect and to truly grow from teenagers to adults. An experiment this small and relatively insignificant has made a major impact on my own peace of mind. I now enjoy moments with my friends without feeling constrained to interrupt that moment to make a Snapchat story to prove how much ‘fun’ I am having, and I can also have a quiet night to myself without incessantly checking up on what everyone else is doing.
Snapchat stories aren’t this way for everyone, though. I think for me they were the tipping scale to the bombardment I felt from social media. As college students, social media is a huge and very important part of our lives. However, it is just as important to remember to take time for ourselves and to unplug every one and a while.
