Last semester, I took a course called "Media Literacy." The class is all about the different types of media and how we consume them. Looking back, the class made me realize that I consume far too much media. I'll admit it—I walk around with my nose in my phone, constantly refreshing the same social media apps, just waiting for something to happen. We all do! Meanwhile, there is a whole world beyond our phone screens. There are so many reasons why our generation needs to unplug from technology, even if it's just for a couple of hours.
For starters, tweets, texts and Facebook posts will always be there, but not everyone in your life will. It's sad to think about, but it's true. Siblings will grow up, grandparents will only get older. Don't go out to dinner with your parents and stare at your phone, giving your family the occasional "Mhm," to let them know you're listening to them (even though you're not). Spend as much time with them as possible; pay attention to the stories they tell you, make memories with them. One day, you will look up and they won't be there.
It is no secret that we waste out time on our phones. We open our laptops at 11 a.m. and before we know it, the day is over, and we've done nothing productive. Don't get me wrong, I know how easy it is to get roped into binge-watching some Netflix or Buzzfeed videos. However, the key is knowing how to turn it off and do something worth while.
We all have our media weaknesses. For me, it's television. We all spend at least five hours a week watching TV, Netflix, YouTube videos, whatever your guilty pleasure is. But it's a trap. Once you sit on that couch and turn it on, you're stuck, possibly for the rest of the day (depending on how much willpower you have). That also means that you are spending that long on a couch or in bed, most likely consuming some sort of snack food. Not good!
In many cases, consuming media does nothing for you. Scrolling through people's Instagram posts won't stimulate your brain or benefit in any way. We spend so much time taking pictures, posting Snapchat stories, and tweeting, we forget to live in the moment. We focus too much on things like recording videos at concerts that we forget to actually look at the stage, look around us and take in what it feels like to be there. We go out with friends and sit on our phones the whole time, barely interacting. Is this really how you want to spend the best years of your life? Lock your phone and look up; there's a pretty amazing world out there!
