My relationship with technology has changed greatly within the last few years. From anxiously attached, I grew into independence and self-love habits. I used to care so much about social media, checking likes and comments, counting and analyzing, and the most frequent habit was comparing. It’s hard not to compare yourself when people put their whole being on social media, only sharing their most impressive attributes. I only realized this later on. I don’t recall how, but it all sort of clicked one day. I realized how fake people can be, and quite unrealistic at that. I realised that consuming this media constantly made me feel insecure and unmotivated. The over consumption and overthinking built up and finally caught up to me, and I was sick of it. I deleted TikTok over 3 years ago, which was a huge step and I am ultimately grateful for. That app was the absolute worst. Not only did I have to deal with constant ads for things I truly did want, because it’s all calibrated to you specifically, I could also lose myself for hours scrolling. Freeing myself from that was as easy as a few quicks, just like how easy it was to download it years ago. Yet the effects still remain from it. I noticed it became harder to pay attention to other media, such as books, school assignments, and even movies. People used to think that movies rotted your brain… just wait until they discover 10 second videos. I want others to have that sense of freedom from social media. 

Social media is known to impact mental health and physical health which many can relate to. Being born into the era of a technological boom, it’s hard not to have everyday life be severely impacted by it. I feel now that little choices we make each day, for example, to pick up a book instead of “doom scroll” before bed can have major effects on a person’s well-being and also sleep habits. I find that if I let myself rot on a screen before bed, I lose track of time, time goes by so fast, I have no idea how much I just wasted, and earn absolutely nothing from it. Specifically, a few nights ago when I was so excited to finally be done with studying and in bed before midnight even, my body was ready for sleep and I told my roommates I was going to bed and excited about it. I then opened my phone eyes, catching on a few notifications, then indulged in the screen, and I convinced myself that I deserved it and proceeded to let one and a half hours go by while scrolling on Instagram. Losing sleep, I became disappointed in myself and shut it off only to be unable to fall asleep since my mind and eyes were so awake. It seems that TikTok wasn’t my only problem… but I know, just like me, society will only go so far in self help. TikToks sole purpose is doom scrolling, yes Instagram added a reels feature which is ultimately the same, but Instagram serves many more features. Public outreach, spread awareness, build connections, etc. 

Many have struggled with attachment and attention span issues due to screens but how much do we accept as normal now that it’s so deep into our lifestyle. We eat meals in front of screens, not fully enjoying or even appreciating the food. I’ve seen articles that the brain lacks in sending hunger or full signals when we are on screens too much. We need our bodies to function in the way that they were meant to. Screens have ripped apart our well-being but we’re constantly being gaslighted into thinking it’s normal, and that we have to accept that it’s just how things will be from now on, so get used to it. I urge others to try and be present even when you are alone and can’t stand the silence, don’t fill the void with unnecessary distraction. It’s hard not to let yourself get distracted when screens are all around us but it’s truly the most freeing feeling to let it go. You will find connections in the world around you that you didn’t know you had the possibility of. Discovering things about yourself along the way.  

Now technology as a whole it’s a bad thing, of course. In fact the technology I’m using now is quite helpful when it comes to writing an essay, needing to move things around and don’t get me started with spell check and grammar issues. Now in comparison to writing with pencil on paper, which are both types of technology, I find that many would take the computer. It isn’t always the case, since in a recent article I read a person described feeling overwhelmed with headaches and other problems when using a computer for a long period of time. Thats where new technology comes through, blue light glasses and features to turn more yellow than blue light, etc, have their time to shine. We have now grown very accustomed to needed technology for our technology. And sellers of these technologies have taken it into account and are using it for their benefit. I see it as one big scam. Why do you think every year they come out with a new phone which, guess what, will not fit into last year’s phone case, or take last year’s charger. 

Brands have found ways to infiltrate our minds and convince us that we need and deserve things. Of course it’s healthy to treat yourself once and awhile, but do you need to find a reason to do it every day? We are certainly on our phones every day. We watch ads constantly, even if we don’t know they are ads. People are paid to promote products even if they aren’t that good or actually their favorite, because of course they will be getting a check out of it. Which is another reason why it’s a scam. Now it’s nothing new, these marketing strategies all didnt come out of nowhere when phones appeared, but they certainly have become inescapable.