Imagine a world where technology has completely taken over. It isn’t as far-fetched as you may think. Though it may be difficult to admit, especially for the younger generation, the concepts surrounding social media are quickly shaping the ways in which we think and go through our everyday lives. The impact that it has is the reason why I feel so strongly that we, as a society, spend too much time on social media.
Back in 2013, comedian and actress Charlene deGuzman wrote and starred in a YouTube video entitled “I Forgot My Phone.” The video captures the disheartening reality of social media’s control over our lives, or rather the control we allow it to have.
The video depicts deGuzman going through her day being surrounded by both loved ones and strangers alike who have an unhealthy infatuation with their cell phones. Whether it was during a lunch outing with friends, a concert or even lying in bed with her boyfriend at night and during the early morning, she is iced out by everyone around her. The saddest part is how undeniably real this video’s depiction is.
If I’m standing in line waiting for food at the Student Center or even when I manage to get to class a few minutes early, it is almost guaranteed that there will be people hunched over their phone screens in order to avoid interaction with the people around them. Admittedly, I’m also guilty of the mindless scrolling that social media offers. It’s easy in moments of silence to turn to something that provides us with so much noise.
I think we also have this idea that we need to prove to others that our lives are worth paying attention to. We’ve all heard that social media is simply the highlight reel of people’s lives, but has it really sunken in yet? Why is it that we try so hard to paint such a perfect online life? When in reality, that Instagram post about your anniversary with a significant other is hiding the fight you had with them this morning, or that salad in your lunch Snapchat ended up in the garbage barely touched because you wanted a slice of pizza instead. Perfection should not lie within a couple posts online. There is no such thing as the perfect life.
I think we need to start living in the moment rather than viewing it from behind a screen. It’s okay to take photos and videos to keep as memories. I do this all the time when I use Snapchat with my six-year old niece or when my dog is doing something crazy that I want to show someone later on.
Snapchat is always my go to because it allows me to be goofy and connect with friends in a different way rather than just texting them. We can still appreciate the things social media allows us to do, it’s just about we handle our social media use in moderation.
If you go to a concert, just enjoy the show without recording it. When you’re out with your friends, put down the phone and have an actual conversation with them. Try and be daring and talk to someone before class starts instead of getting sucked into your phone screen. ‘
I promise putting your phone down for a few moments won’t be the death of you. Who knows, maybe you’ll find some noise of your own outside of the realm of social media.
PHOTO TAKEN by Nicole Riddle
