I think I might have an addiction. It’s a very slight, yet irritating addiction. I can’t seem to stay off of social media! I’ll exit out of Twitter, then end up on Instagram. I’ll scroll through Tumblr then end up on Snapchat. It’s like I can’t seem to sit alone, in silence for more than two minutes. I’ll wind up on my computer, watching Netflix or YouTube videos, then back on social media again.
I’m starting to become concerned for my mental health. I check my phone immediately when my eyes open in the morning. For some reason, I need to know what everyone else had to say at 3 o’clock in the morning. Did someone tweet or post a photo that I care about? Probably not but oh yes, I need to see! If I’m alone in a room full of strangers, social media is my comfort zone. I don’t even care what’s on the screen because I’ll barely even read it. I’ll just scroll until I feel comfortable enough to put my phone down.
I read an article recently about a psychiatrist who treats people who can’t stay off of the internet. Although he couldn’t’t pinpoint anything negative about that addiction, it was still negatively affecting the lives of the people suffering from it. It’s honestly embarrassing that we’ve advanced so much as a society but we’re slaves to an inanimate object. The amount of time I spend looking at my phone, personally, is just ridiculous. Before and after every single thing I do, I have to take a look at my phone. Why?
This brought me to the conclusion that I might need a break from social media. Yup, that includes Pinterest as well. There was a time when I used to get lost in a book for hours. I would let my phone die because there wasn’t anything more important than finishing that four hundred page book about Edward and Bella. It’s as if today, I might have carpal tunnel from the amount of typing and scrolling I do. I want to give myself, and my hands a break from the constant need to look at a screen. I want to spend some time looking at my campus, seeing things I’ve never seen and speaking to people without feeling uncomfortable. If I can’t go cold turkey, I hope I can spend less time on social media. This is a real and true goal for 2017 that I hope I can accomplish. Hopefully, some of you can do this as well.