I Gave Up Twitter For 3 Months, But Now I'm Back On As If I Never Left | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

I Gave Up Twitter For 3 Months, But Now I'm Back On As If I Never Left

A cleanse of anything that takes up too much of your time is never a bad idea.

295
I Gave Up Twitter For 3 Months, But Now I'm Back On As If I Never Left
Stock News

With the whole threat of net neutrality recently settling down after threatening to drastically change our online lives, people are enjoying Twitter to its fullest potential. It’s hilarious. Where else can you get sports statistics paired with a GIF atop a Kim Kardashian, Chicago West, Kylie must be pregnant statement followed up by a meme of Gavin, our favorite internet son? Twitter. It’s simple. But how much is too much of a good thing?

Over the summer I was working, interning and taking classes so my time was spread pretty thin. Any free time I had I tried to spend it doing homework or finishing up any work I didn’t get done while I was in the office. Prioritizing my tasks and practicing time management became essential. Thus, paying attention to my time became inevitable.

I was wasting too much time “between tasks” scrolling through my social media feeds, Twitter in particular. So, after talking to my friends about deleting the app, I did. Of course, I could still access the site from my computer but I stayed logged into the company account so I wouldn’t be tempted to check-in on my friends, look at the latest memes or get distracted with an endless number of articles.

It was easier to do than I thought. You get busy, you take care of business, you don’t think about it. Out of sight, out of mind. That is until your friend texts you and says, “did you see the tweet I sent you?”

NO, I DID NOT, AND I WON’T SEE IT FOR TWO AND A HALF MORE MONTHS SO DON’T TALK ABOUT IT.

We’ve become really dependent upon social media. I like the instant gratification of sharing a nice, aesthetically pleasing photo on Instagram of me drinking coffee just as much as the next person. But we’ve become so saturated with consuming content every minute of every day that we can barely put our phones down for the 80 minutes we’re in class.

It’s not necessarily a matter of needing to know the tragic news, but rather the wanting to stay in constant connection and have continued communication with our friends or the our “following.”

Being in the eye of the public is no longer part of the job for people in Hollywood or famous athletes. We hurl ourselves into the eyes of thousands of people a day across many different platforms.

Giving up Twitter for a short time was beneficial because it allowed me to be less distracted when I needed to be professional and on top of everything going on in my life.

But I didn’t have this revolutionary experience of wanting to give up all social media for the rest of my life. I don’t think that’ll ever happen. We’ve grown up in a world where we feel like we need it. We have it for work, we use it to share our content and to keep in touch with people who no longer live 15 minutes away from us. A Twitter cleanse was nice but all in all, it didn’t really change much in the long run. Sure I was more productive for that time but once I got it back I fell back into the routine of checking my feed every free minute I have.

So, a round of applause to the people who still use flip phones on purpose to avoid the nagging of constant social connection, or the people who delete their email app off their phone or even the people who use a real, old-fashion alarm clock. You’re not missing out on too much. Except constant entertainment when you don’t need it and memes (which are actually really great).

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

2116
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

16759
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3570
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments