In the world of Netflix bingeing and memes, we have become a culture that gets obsessed with something and won’t let it go. We have become a culture of unhealthy obsessions, and it needs to stop. When did it suddenly become OK to sit around and waste hours upon hours doing nothing but staring at a screen? When I was growing up we got yelled at for spending too much time on the computer or watching TV. But now, as adults, we get praise if we tell our friends, “yeah, I just spent the whole weekend bingeing on Netflix and laying around?” When did it become cool and invoke jealousy to be unproductive?

Now the kids are just obsessed with memes, instead of being productive. Instead of seeing a boy as cute, intelligent, and doing something with his life, girls chase after the boys who create “sick memes.” And while some may take this as a joke, others don’t. They seriously do look for a partner with that quality in mind.

These new trends are taking over our lives, and nobody seems to mind. Everyone is too concerned with being cool and up to date on the coolest thing, and we’re not considering our mental health. Having these obsessions is not healthy, and we really need to look at ourselves and reconsider the roles these things have in our lives.

Maybe we should all take a lesson in moderation. Learn to enjoy the small things in life, and don’t stress out about the little things that you think will make yourself popular. Who cares if you’re in on the latest trend? Concentrate on yourself and your mental health. Do what makes you happy. You don’t have to watch that show if you don’t want to. You don’t have to dedicate hours upon hours of time coming up with the best meme to impress the girl you like. If she’s a sensible girl she’ll appreciate you for you, and not your meme game.

I know I’m starting to sound like an old woman, “Those kids and their dang technology” but I’m not asking you to get rid of everything completely. I’m telling you to enjoy life. Enjoy other people, and the amazing interactions you can have with them. We are all on the planet, and we need to treat each other like human beings rather than just objects that are in our way. There are so many small things that make life great, don’t just center yourself on one of them and live your life for that one thing. Try new things, meet new people, put yourself out there. Don’t just let your life go by.

We need to take a step back. Go outside, enjoy the world and the nature it has to offer. You can spend sometime doing those things I mentioned, but remember to enjoy life above all else.