SOCIAL MEDIA... GOOD OR BAD?
I feel like a large group of people nowadays no longer just enjoy social media apps, but are simply addicted to them. Many people, majority of them being in their teens and 20s, cannot stay off their phone for a long period of time and some also feel on edge/anxious when they don't have their phone at arms reach. Why? What changed that has everyone thinking their phone is the most important and valuable thing in their lives? I'll be the first to put my hands up and admit that I'm one of those people and have been for a long time now. I can't go anywhere without my phone, whether its to a friend or relatives house, the bathroom, out for dinner or even in bed, I never leave it out of my sight. I've never really thought anything bad of it until now and it's made me question what changed that now has me so brainwashed and addicted to my phone and all social media apps. Technology has grown so much over the years and it's crazy to think that the first mobile phone only came out in 1973. That might seem like a long time ago but think just how far technology and mobile phones have come since then. We have the ability to control our devices but for a lot of us it's the other way around. We have everything we could possibly want to see and know, just a few taps away. News channels even have their own mobile apps that we can download and use because they know a lot of us find out things from our phones first before we even turn on our TVs in the mornings. I must admit that I can't remember the last time I turned on a TV and watched anything as I watch/read everything on my phone or laptop now and I know I'm not the only one. Even enjoying some time with friends, whether it's going on a night out, going for dinner or even just chilling at their house. A lot of the time we're all scrolling through Instagram talking about other peoples lives we don't even know instead of talking about our own. We don't mean to come across as rude but it is. It's just a "normal" thing to do now. What makes it even more sad is that many of those girls on your Instagram feed who you think are "perfect" aren't. A lot of them hype up their lives and over-exaggerate how luxurious they're living all for the follows and likes and you can't help but compare yourself to them which can really bring some people down, which can have a huge impact on their mental health. In saying that, social media has many benefits and can be so helpful and even live changing for some. People from all over the world have helped sick individuals get treatment they couldn't afford alone, missing people and animals have been found through the public being able to share the stories on their own profile pages, alerting their friends and family. Also, many talented people have been discovered simply because of an uploaded video which has gone viral. Social media has both pros and cons however you can definitely limit the cons. If you feel like you're using it too much and it's stopping you from living in the moment and being present with friends and family then limit your usage or take a break from it completely so that you can find yourself again. Me personally, I've already tried limiting how often I hit the "refresh" button. I actually find that more difficult as I end up forgetting what I promised myself and go straight back into my own social media bubble. A complete cleanse and detox will be difficult but I feel like that will work a lot better for me and I'm hoping to feel a lot better afterwards; both with myself and my relationships.
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I'm going to attempt to stay off all of my social media apps (Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/Snapchat) for 2 weeks. I feel like any less would only change they way I think and live for a limited time and any more than that I might start to feel bored or I might even get quite lonely. I'll have to try and think of some new hobbies to do to take up all the time I'd usually spend on my phone, but I'm excited to see what those will be. 2 weeks may not seem like long but for someone who is constantly on their phone like me, it will feel like a lifetime. Who knows, maybe the 2 weeks will fly in and I'll actually enjoy the break and if that's the case then I'll probably prolong my social media "cleanse". My boyfriend and I are both celebrating our birthdays this weekend and because he lives in London and I don't see him as often as I'd like, I'll be wanting to share some pictures of the two of us, so I'll be logging out of all of my social media accounts this coming Monday so any friends/family who need to message me will have to text me! Once the 2 weeks are up, I'll be writing another blog post about how I got on and if I feel any different!
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I know there will be some of you thinking, "Wow, what a sad life. It's only a couple of pointless apps" and I agree. I think I've gotten myself too wrapped up in scrolling through Instagram and Twitter because I'm bored which has then lead into becoming so concerned about strangers lives and seeing what they're all up to that it's gotten unhealthy. I want to focus on myself and my own relationships with the people I know and care about rather than ignoring them and focusing on others. Hopefully this works and I actually learn something from it as it's something I've always wanted to try...
Wish me luck!!
Even though I won't see it lol