Written by: Yawat Malla - 24049, Grade XII
Posted on: 21 November, 2023
Introduction
“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, plus a social media overreaction.”
It won't be an exaggeration to say that the world today is running at the mercy of social media. It is surprising how quickly and rapidly social media has evolved over the years and continues to do so. Social media first started as a means of connecting digitally with friends. Everybody seems to have a social media presence, even children and old people. As of 2023, social media is not only a platform to communicate with friends and families but is also a major industry for marketing. It is hard to believe that the social media we know today first started only a couple of decades ago. In a world that has become so heavily dependent on social media, it may be hard for some to believe that it is possible to live by being completely cut off from the digital world. Nevertheless, I was able to spend a year without social media which I would say has helped me a lot to transform as a person.
The Social Media Trap
Like many other teenagers, I encountered social media at a very young age, maybe when I was 9 or 10. A friend told me there was this really cool thing called ‘Facebook’ where you can talk to each other and play Dragon City. I have continued to use social media ever since. As someone who has used social media for quite a while, one thing that I learned is that social media is heavily demanding on time. There were times when I would start watching a YouTube video and realize I had been continuously watching one video after another for several hours. It was almost scary how I would lose track of time so quickly without a hint of realization. But the real question is why do people love social media so much? What is so interesting about it? There is an obvious answer. Regardless of the differences in origin, ethnicity, language, and culture, one thing that unites all human beings is drama. Social media has become the undeniable proof for this. Social media seems to capitalize on the fact that people, whether teenagers or elderly, all share an equal love for drama. May it be politics, pollution, or some controversy about a social media influencer, everybody loves to know what's going on, form assumptions, and share their assumptions on social media. And once we get caught up in this quicksand of uselessly drifting across social media to know who called out whom and what they said, we slowly sink into it and it becomes more and more difficult to escape it.
Social Media Detachment
During the one year that I escaped all the social media drama from my own life, I learned to appreciate the small things in life. I realized the value of time we spend with our loved ones and the true meaning of socializing. After getting out of social media, I felt empty, as I believed that there was not anything to do. I would be lying if I said I was not tempted to get back into Facebook and Instagram after a few days. I realized that now that I was not just scrolling through reels, feeds, and videos all day, I actually had a lot of time. With all the spare time that I had, I had the opportunity to rediscover my hobbies. I discovered my love for coding and reading books. I love listening to music and even learned some Spanish on Duolingo. I also put some serious thought into my future about what I want to be, and the correct path to be where I want. I was able to spend more time with my family and my mother’s concern about me being on my PC and phone all the time seemed to have decimated. I hung out with friends a lot and I have to say that the connection I was able to establish with people in person is something that I would never be able to have with only social media interaction.
In the year that I was absent from social media, I have lost count of how many times people asked me why I deactivated all my social media accounts. They would come up with their own reasons like if I was trying to focus on my studies for the year, if I was pressured by my parents or even if I was emotionally scarred due to a heartbreak. I had to justify myself many times, but I always found it hard to tell my friends that I just wanted a break from all the social media influences in my life and just be me. One thing that I would say is the downside of not using social media is that there were only a few means of contacting me excluding phone calls and SMS, due to which I found myself in trouble several times. Not using social media also feels like being cut off from the digital world, which made me feel a little bit out of place in my friend circle.
Conclusion
Thus when I felt that I had overcome my social media addiction and I would no longer be engulfed by it. I returned to the place where I was. Also part of the reason was because my friends wouldn’t stop nagging me all the time to get back because it had become extremely hard for them to contact me regarding anything and they had reached the end of their patience, which I thought was reasonable. So after getting back on Instagram again, I feel rejuvenated and have a sense of self-control over my social media usage. I no longer feel the need to fear that I would waste my time by using too much social media which is very exhilarating. A free piece of advice I would like to give to every person who is too much into social media: engage more with the people around you as real connections happen when you look up from your screen and into someone's eyes, where the world of the heart and soul resides.
