As technology continues to be further developed, dependency on it is growing. Phones are now a major part of most people’s lives, whether it’s posting on Instagram, scrolling on TikTok, or Facetiming a friend.
Over the past years, screen time has continued to increase at a drastic rate both in America and across the world. The average person spends nearly seven hours looking at a screen per day. This excessive time spent with technology can create a further distance between people’s lives.
Many people often find themselves scrolling through social media with no real purpose in mind. At the end of the day, all that time can add up to hours spent missing out on life experiences. When will the world realize how much they can actually do with that time? People could learn to play an instrument, read a book or talk with friends, yet people continue to fill their lives with social media.
This has forced many people to delete social media entirely from their lives in order to avoid the trap that they continuously fall into.
“I realized I was constantly scrolling through TikTok with all my free time, it was so unhealthy and I wanted a change… I decided that it would be best to remove all social media so I was no longer distracted,” said senior Ethan Crowley.
It is hard to end this vicious cycle as the more social media is used, the more pressure is added on and, therefore, the more reliant we are on what it can do for us. Humans get dopamine from every single interaction with social media, just as we do with many other activities.
By eliminating many social media platforms from my life, I have felt more free and more in control of my time. I have been able to have a more balanced and healthy lifestyle because I have more time to spend working on myself and my hobbies. My relationships have grown stronger because I have been able to invest more into them, and my free time is better filled with activities that I enjoy and cherish.
According to the McLean Hospital 69 percent of adults and 81 percent of teens in the United States use social media. This means that over half of the country’s population is at risk to succumb to the negative effects like anxiety and depression in their users.
A big reason for people continuing to use social media platforms is the innate fear of missing out on something that may happen. Many people look at social media often to make sure they are up to date with news, drama, invitations and big events. They feel the need to know what is happening around them no matter if it is personal to them or not.
“As I have been in highschool and matured more, it has seemed to affect me more because I am more aware of it… while I am out of town it is worse because I not only feel like I am missing out, but I am not even there to have the option to participate,” said senior Alex Van Utrecht.
It is difficult to let go and it is especially hard to let go of the possibilities of what could be. People are always questioning the chance that they may not have an experience or not be included in a moment that was shared.
Because of this people can grow apart from others in their lives, some can become so obsessed with what is happening outside of our lives that they sometimes forget to connect with those around them. Social media not only distracts users from their own lives, but also the lives of those they are close to. By spending time worrying about what could be happening, they miss what is already happening in front of them.
Although social media can help us keep in touch with friends and family while teaching us the newest trends or giving us the latest news, it can also create a disconnect between our online presence and the relationships we have in our lives. “I have never felt more connected to those around me as I do right now, I have more time to give to people and more energy for each conversation,” said Crowley.
Social media is a great tool to help us realize what can be achieved in the world, but just as importantly should be used with caution. A healthy medium between technology and true life is where people should live, utilizing what it can offer us while remaining a special, individual person.
