Social media is fun. It really is.
I get a great laugh out of scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, and even Tik Tok (yes, I’m being serious). I like being in the know about what’s going on around. I like memes and stupid videos and staying up late with my phone less than 6 inches away from my face in a dark room. I like social media.
Social media is pretty indifferent though. Probably safe to say that our relationship is very one-sided. I give them views, clicks, and the relevance they need to keep going. And with such power, I should be able to leave. My usage has monetary value.
I do not get paid to sit at my phone for hours and scroll through my phone. I do not get paid for less than eight hours of sleep. I do not get paid to click on this Youtube video and watch videos of people playing Minecraft TED Talks. I don’t get paid to compare myself to the endless amount of people that look like they are doing better than me.
But I don’t leave. But I also don’t blame myself too much for having a hard time packing up and going elsewhere.
One of the most interesting and important things Reading Social Media taught me this semester was to put my health over all of this. Reading about the impact social media has on my generation was astounding. It really put things into perspective. I do believe social media makes us all a little unhappier. I belong to one of the first generations to grow up with social media. I remember a decent period of my life without it, albeit I was pretty young (we’ll say about 13/14), but I feel like I apply. There are kids who were born right in the middle of all this crazy social media stuff. This class really made me want to remove myself from all of this. I don’t think I’m glued to my phone at all, but I am aware of how social media keeps up coming back. It’s built to be engaging and cater to you. You see what you want. That’s great!
But it also has the ability to give birth to some very harmful habits. When you are aware of how to point out these things and really get a handle on yourself, I think social media is quite enjoyable. I plan to spend less time on my phone. Specifically less time on social media. I don’t think I can let go of my streaming services anytime soon (I must of watched Parks and Recreation and The Office about 3 times over now) but I can practice changing my online presence and eliminating myself from consuming the more addictive Twitters and Instagram posts.
I have also gone way over the word limit so I think I’ll cap it here.
Best and until Next Time.
Lots of Nothing 