Time for a Detox?

I remember the days without social media. At a young age, kids didn’t even have cell phones, at least not until they were 13. Even then, they definitely didn’t have any kind of apps on them. Back when I was that age, we would play outside or walk to the beach, actually enjoy each other’s company. These days you see more and more young kids cooped up in their house playing on their devices. With the evolution of all these applications, we have a sensory overload of information directly at our finger tips, just as long as we have some device to pull it up on.

Social media now runs our world through apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Instead of reading a newspaper, many people now get their news from these applications and absorb the information without any further research. It skews the reality of what is true or false, as people can post just about anything. I’m not going to lie, I to have read information on social media apps and instantly believed it to be fact. Flashing titles on Snapchat’s home page make me eagerly want to click and read what it’s about. Rarely will I ever check to see if it’s from a “credible” source. This idea of using credible sources is one that is emphasized in school, yet not always translated into daily life. As a science-focused individual, I always make sure that the information I am reading is coming from a reputable source. That is, when it comes to school. Now, if I see on Snapchat that Kylie Jenner is pregnant, I will likely be texting all of my friends without taking a second to breath much less researching who wrote about it.

Social media has also changed the way people view themselves, altering what people truly value. When it comes to the app Instagram, many people will post about the best times of their lives. They can cherry pick moments in time to compile a life that is seemingly perfect. Some also edit their face or body to fit a certain “standard”. I think this has created a society that expects perfection and looks down upon anything less. I have been on Instagram for 7 years, and I can definitely see the change in the app since I first downloaded it. People used to not care what they posted. When I first created my Instagram, I remember I posted a picture of a flower and genuinely didn’t care if I got any likes on it. I just thought it was pretty and wanted other people to enjoy it too. Fast forward to last year, anytime I would post a picture I got a sense of validation from each and every like. This kind of toxic mindset is being instilled in those much younger than I was the first time I used the app.

Bullying has also evolved simultaneously with social media. While this has been an issue for decades, it has become easier to bully when the perpetrator can hide behind a screen. What used to be the jock shoving a kid smaller than him into a locker, has become kids typing hurtful words toward each other. When you’re hiding behind a screen, you become desensitized to any feeling of remorse.  I grew up during a time when Formspring, a social media website used to anonymously ask questions, was on everybody’s Myspace profile page. People would write nasty things on there without ever getting reprimanded for their harsh words. It was like a breeding ground for bullies to go and let out their own pent up anger and insecurity. The ease of using this kind of social media to make yourself feel better about yourself tells a lot about how social media has changed our culture.

I think that with the rise of social media, people’s ability to live in the moment has also shifted. No longer are we spending quality time with one another. We would rather sit in silence, scrolling through Instagram posts that we’ve probably already seen. Our phones are always at our side, ready for us to pick up at the sound of a ding. I know I’ve looked through Facebook and Instagram longing for the life others lived. We tend to become unhappy with our own lives because we feel as if we aren’t good enough. I’ve felt this before as well. I see a lot on Twitter about how people are taking a social media break, a cleanse if you will, to detox the feelings of unworthiness and desire for what we suddenly “don’t have”. I think people are realizing that social media can truly be toxic and addicting, maybe in the future it won’t even exist anymore. Maybe that’s just my wish. Realistically though, in another couple of years there will just be a new social media platform that will take over our phones, and the integrity our everyday lives.

So what do I have to say about all of this? Check yourself. Maybe it’s high time you take a break from the online world and focus on the people around you. Go for a walk with your family or grab lunch with friend! Whatever you decide to do, take time for yourself and remember to always keep things in perspective.