Is it a common urge to throw your phone into the Atlantic and watch your troubles drift away? It is for me. I often find myself waiting for my breaking point. When will I decide that enough is enough and go completely off the grid?Â
A few months ago, I toyed with the idea of being “chronically offline” and decided to delete Snapchat. There were a few times when I found myself going to open the app only to realize that it no longer had a place on my home screen. Taking the initiative to do this was oddly freeing. Albeit I was not a serial snapchatter, my brain was addicted to the sensation of receiving a notification. Being Snapchat sober for a few months now has led me to entertain the idea of deleting most of my social media accounts.Â
The appeal of being blissfully unaware sounds lovely on the surface. I could say goodbye to the endless cycle of unrealistic trends that young women are pressured to keep up with. I’d be free of my social media responsibilities like answering snapchats or friend requests from people I don’t really concern myself with. This all sounds great, right? Unfortunately, no matter how often I convince myself to delete my socials, that familiar sense of FOMO is always lingering.Â
FOMO is typically not a concern of mine. I tend to have whatever the opposite of FOMO is. If I were to bid my online presence farwell though, I fear I will miss out on keeping up with the latest pop culture scandal, current events, and crucial political statements. The question then becomes: how do I stay educated and in the loop while also resisting “brain rot?”
take back your own opinions
I cannot express how often I am presented with a topic of debate online and jump to the comment section before declaring my personal opinion. To be completely candid, the moment I realized I was doing this, I was incredibly ashamed of myself. When did I stop having my own thoughts, I would ask myself. As tempting as the comment section may be, it is the killer of creativity. So, if you’re going to scroll, I suggest scrolling with your brain.Â
reading the news is cool
Before coming to college, the idea of reading a newspaper sounded positively dreadful to me. In high school, I preferred to obtain my news from unreliable sources on TikTok and Instagram. Sounds credible, right? It wasn’t until a collegiate journalism class where I was required to read the “Today’s Paper” section of the New York Times that I started to choose my news sources with a little more caution. This was a quick and efficient way for me to stay on top of current events, and I am still loyal to that section to this day.
the limit does exist
As unappealing as it may initially sound, the benefits of setting limits on your social media use do wonders. I hope you are not under the impression that I have rid my life of all social media because that is certainly not the case. However, I now try to use it with more intent. As I open the app, I ask myself what I hope to gain from this screen time. It is not merely current events I keep up with. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube provide me with updates about my personal interests like Taylor Swift, teacher influencers, the Phillies, and announcements from my favorite TV shows and podcasters.
That being said, instead of going off the grid or letting your “for you page” consume you, find a healthy balance that involves a purpose behind your social media use. Don’t let it exhaust you, let it educate you.Â