It’s no secret that we base our value on the lives of others. Your friends post photos of their amazing Labor Day weekend getaways on Instagram and suddenly your trip to the fair seems trivial. You read an article on Mic.com about a teenage genius that just cured hemophilia and now your making the Dean’s List doesn’t seem worthy of telling your parents. While group motivation is a proven technique of improving self-success, the social media world has completely skewed our idea of what matters and what is real.
It’s the compromise. Would you rather let go of social media and focus only on your actions? Could you give it up? It’s a great way to actually live in the moment and lead a healthier lifestyle. Neglecting online notifications could also lead you to discover new talents and hobbies, what with all your new free time.
But are we able to let go? Social media is an addiction, and it’s harming the average young adult’s condition of life. We feel pressured to hold onto our phones, tablets, and Macs, worried that we might fall out of the loop if we don’t constantly check who’s posting what. It’s a crutch. People walking down the street are too awkward to look up, say hi to passersby, and meet new friends. REAL friends. Not the 1,761 friends you have on Facebook or the 978 Instagram followers.
Movies like Surrogates (2009) and eXistenZ (1999) show what happens when the general population lies low in the comfort zone. “Having a life” on social media means losing a life in the real world.
Challenge yourself to a new compromise. Keep a journal logging how many hours you’ve clung to your phone or wasted on junk sites. When you reach for that black box of addiction, diverge from texting and actually call someone. Speaking in person, or at least in real-time, improves social skills, public performance, and ultimately brings us back to humanity.
Compromise to meet for lunch instead of shooting photos of lonely Starbucks cups back and forth on Snapchat. Compromise to write down a list of long and short-term goals for yourself instead of sulking around the house the next time you see a stranger post about their successes on Instagram. Compromise your insecurities for the chance to escape your comfort zone. If a peer from one of your classes messages you on Facebook, don’t avoid eye contact with them in next week’s lecture; walk straight up to them and say hi. There was a way to meet guys and gals before Tinder…
The compromise should not mean separating the cyber world from the one outside your door. The compromise is finding the balance of enjoying social media for what it is and implementing values you learn from the Internet in your daily life. Conversation and making lasting memories are two rare commodities being nonsensically wagered in the compromise, and they should not be.
There is no need to compare your life to those of the digital strangers who only exist in a rose-filtered online world. Finding a happy balance between spending time online and with loved ones IS achievable. Don’t compare; choose conversation; compromise.