Some Thoughts on Social Media
So here is a pretty basic list of the different types of social media that I and so many other people of all ages use around the world:
Snapchat
VSCO
YouTube
Facebook (for college group chats and grad party invites lol)
HouseParty
tumblr (haaaaaaha. i dont really know what it is but it's a thing i guess)
okay. So you get the picture. There are many different social media outlets that are available for us at all hours of the day. It's there when we wake up, when we go to bed, when we're bored, when we have free time, when we're tired, when we need it. However, I've been thinking in the past few days about this concept of "needing" social media.
Sure, the internet is a brilliant and endless world full of incredible opportunities, people, pictures, advice pages, videos, recipes, etc. etc. etc... Honestly, everything and anything that exists on earth is probably floating somewhere out in cyberspace. And while that opens up so many possibilities and endless doors into discovery and self expression, it is equally dangerous for many different reasons.
However, what I really just want to focus on some is of the damaging effects that social media can have on us if we're not careful. I may sound a little counter-cultural and you may disagree with some of the things I have to say, but I haven't totally been feeling myself these past few weeks and after some deep self-reflection, I think a major reason for that is because of social media. And I know I'm not the only one.
Around midnight last night, my cousin sent me a semi-angry and almost sad text about how much she hates social media. She said:
"Social media is such a temptation because we are found so many times envying what others have or what they are doing and that is sad."
When i woke up and read it, I couldn't agree more. It was as if she read my mind and was almost calling me out for being so wrapped up in other people's lives and feeling bad about my own.
Whether we'd like to admit it or not, social media is for most of us an addiction. Our screens are black holes of endless information and scrolling that can take a serious toll on our mental, emotional, and physical health if we're not careful. Although it seems harmless and almost necessary to keep up with the world, it's a temptation and sometimes even a drug to escape the reality of our own lives.
I'm going to be brutally honest. For the past week or so, I have probably wasted almost 15 hours worth of my time on my phone...and it hasn't even been productive or satisfying! I always end up feeling drained, exhausted, guilty, and sometimes even sad. But it's the fact that my phone is always there. It follows me through my day while I'm sitting at stop lights, bored after doing an activity, calming me down before I go to bed, etc. I'm not saying our phones are evil and we need to go out and purge ourselves. Not.at.all.
However, what I'm realizing is that social media can't become our only "go-to" when we have down time. Yes, it can and should be a part of our day to check up on our friends and families, but it's when
we start to turn it into the only thing we go to when we're bored that becomes the problem. You see,
the culture tells us that spending endless hours on our screens is GOOD. People post things every
minute updating their stories, keeping up streaks, posting pictures, tweets, and videos, etc. But, there's a time for everything.
One thing that really gets to me about all of that is the fact that REAL LIFE is not on social media. The real, the messy, the ugly, and the scary moments of our emotions cannot be wrapped up in a 160 character tweet. Spending time with your friends and family should be spent without your phone.
Also, all of us are worth more than how many likes and comments we get on Instagram. How long and numerous our streaks are on Snapchat. How many likes and retweets we get on Twitter. It is so easy to sit behind a screen and spend endless amounts of time scrolling, liking, retweeting, editing, posting, and comparing oursevles to everyone else.
I could go on and on about all of the damaging effects of social media especially snapchat and instagram, but I'm sure you already can sense where I'm going...
So, in an effort to strengthen my own interior virtues and also to set some realistic goals for myself and anyone who's willing to do a little cleanse from comparing, I am going to lay out 5 healthy habits for screen time and social media usage.
Here we go:
1. When you start to find yourself spending endless hours on your phone, try DELETING your social media apps for a whole entire day (or 2, 3, or 4!)
seriously. I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to step back from the constant stream of information and honestly be purely present to yourself and to others WITHOUT social media. It forces you to search for other ways to use your time (reading, exercising, meeting with friends, cleaning, etc). Plus, it shows you just how addicted you are to it when you're without it!
2. Put your phone and electronics AWAY an hour or two before you go to bed
I'm sure this one will be the hardest of all. But, our bodies need to relax before falling asleep and the harsh light that comes from our screens can mess with our brains and strain our eyes, making it difficult to fall asleep. Also, putting away technology helps us focus on unwinding the right way.
3. Charge your phone in another room and use an old fashioned alarm clock for the mornings
For most people, the first thing they do when they wake up is spend time on their phone. It's like a drug. It calms them down and helps them focus on something other than their tiredness. But, this isn't good! The first thing you do with a fresh day is start scrolling through instagram? :( Why not instead stretch, breathe, drink some water, meditate, set goals, get ready, etc.
4. Set aside 30 minutes of your day in silence or alone time
Put your phone on airplane mode or in another room and solely focus on your interior mood. Sit down with a journal or a book or a paper and pencil to sketch. Take a walk. Try to pray or read scripture verses. Do something that helps you focus on being alone without your phone and connect with your deeper emotions. Because, we all need to learn how to be alone without feeling lonely. Plus, spending time in silence helps us listen to what our bodies and minds need most. It can also help us find time to listen to God..
5. Turn off social media notifications
Turn them off: snapchat, instagram, twitter, everything. That way, you won't be as tempted to check them and you might even forget for a few hours if you're not constantly being bombarded with the information all day long. I've done it for a while now and it helps me A LOT!
I'm not trying to put down anyone who loves their social media or try to make you feel guilty. I'm right there with you. Tbh, we probably all are. We're never going to be perfect and always live healthily or right but if we constantly strive to better ourselves no matter how many times we mess up or fail, that is what will lead us to a happy and fulfilled life. And, sometimes our phones can become huge stumbling blocks on our paths to success. I hope you take what I said to heart and try to implement these habits this summer into your daily routine (:
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