How many times have you checked social media today? Was it for a couple minutes? Or a couple hours? Did you scroll mindlessly through Instagram? Facebook? Hey, maybe you even browsed some memes off of Reddit.
Wherever you went today, it probably evoked a plethora of emotions, either negative or positive. Maybe you compared yourself to someone off Instagram; maybe you read something depressing, or perhaps you read something happy.
Social media is a very huge part of society today. The first recognized social media site was Six Degrees, launched by Andrew Weinreich in 1997. The site was an earlier version of what we would come to know as platforms such as MySpace and Facebook. With such a vast presence in our lives today, it’s essential to look at how social media affects us daily.
There have been numerous studies that show a correlation between social-media use and, among other things, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and poor sleep quality. These are serious outcomes for something we deem as necessary and return to continuously throughout the day, leaving our marks on this made-up world, one which is confined to plastic screens.
Be wary of how you use social media, what platforms you use, what you do on them, and for how long you use them. Perhaps it’s time we finally become more aware of our social-media habits and consider how it’s making us feel, since we might not even be aware of how damaging it is to our health. If we did this, we’d be able to realize just how much social media can affect us negatively and maybe we could take a step back when needed.
There’s a formula of disaster present at our fingertips, and it sits innocently in our pockets or backpacks. Sure, we might use it to unwind from a busy day or use it as a form of escapism, but limiting social media can be refreshing and may be just what you need. Take the time to explore different avenues of self-expression. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, to dance? To join a karate class, to volunteer? Or perhaps you feel as if you could spend more time studying and doing assignments? Whatever it may be, once things are safe again, go out and live in this world, not in the virtual world. Learn to become a part of the community and be connected in a way that isn’t confined to your screen. Of course, this may be easier for some than for others, but we can try, and trying new experiences is how we grow. Look up once in a while; look at the beautiful trees full of life, at the outline of the mountains in the distance, at the smell of fresh air. Feel the ground beneath your feet and the air in your lungs.
You’re alive, and not in some pixelated version of reality. You’re living life in reality. So maybe it’s time to actually live it.