My iPhone is great. Just a wonderful device full of exciting features. Being a millennial, I am bound to have some social media accounts here and there. YouTube and Netflix are always a few taps away when I need them. Snapchat filters are amusing to mess around with. And what's not to love about all the memes a girl could ask for, just waiting for me to scroll through? But if I am being honest with myself, none of these things have ever made me truly happy.
Have you ever been to a party where everyone is on their phone and rather than talking to each other, they are scrolling through Instagram? I can tell you right now that at least half those people do not actually want to be on their phone but they are anyway because of peer pressure. And it is hard to believe that the rest actually find their phones more amusing than human interaction. Since when did it become so difficult to have a conversation? Why have phones become so prevalent in our lives?
Well from personal experience, I can say that my iPhone is excellent at convincing me that it is interesting.
I mean just the thought of the entire world wide web being accessible at your fingertips is pretty mind-blowing. Whenever I pick up my phone I think, "there is bound to be something for me to do in this expansive universe of information".
Also, there is the whole social media complex. Social media is entirely dominated by our cellphones. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, it's all about building your 'brand'. People love to let others know that their life is going great; we all care how the world perceives us. This makes sense because it is human nature to care.
But, in the wise words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "You wouldn't worry so much how others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” In a perfect world, social media would be all about keeping in touch and celebrating each other as a community, but the truth is social media is largely distracting and self-promoting.
The instant gratification that a phone can provide is addictive. Notifications on your cell phone are like candy, and it feels nice when there is activity on your phone. But in this age of instance, we have forgotten the importance of patience. Today, one does not even need to leave the comforts of their home to find ‘love’. Just download Tinder and swipe until you find a match.
But in reality, it takes time to build real relationships. Yeah, it might be awkward to put down your phone at a party and talk to people you do not know, but this may be the first step to becoming the social butterfly you aspire to be. No skill, dream, relationship, or improvement will be achieved instantly. Go past the cheap thrills that your phone provides and start making use of what the real world has to offer.
As much as I think phones are a distraction, I am not saying you should completely discard all your devices and live off the grid.
I am just saying that your phone and social media can only offer so much fulfillment. Instead of spending another hour opening people’s Snapchat stories, start learning a new skill like drawing or check out a book from the library.
Do not make taking pictures a chore assigned by social media. Take pictures because you want to preserve memories of your life and enjoy what you are doing in real time. And do not expect life to be as easy as your phone makes it seem. It may not be amazing and perfect all the time but if you are patient and open to yourself, you might find that life has a lot more to offer than a strong Instagram following.
