Social Media, technology is everywhere you turn in today’s society. It is the essence of communication. Whether for classes, relationships, friendships, groups or plainly just keeping up with the world. It is the most prominent way of communication. Whether it’s through social media or through a text. Phone calls are a sign from the past.
Recently, I woke up to my phone not working and it’s so easy to assume others will be upset that you can’t respond. As a college student, I easy go without my phone for days at a time during the summer or even at work. However, when school begins the initial reaction of having something glued to your hand or afraid of missing something important whether or at school or at home which is too far away can seem somewhat terrifying. Yet, in reality, it isn’t it’s the psychological part of our minds that allow us to think that. There is a fine balance between the two. After, the ‘phone not working’ incident I remember reading an article and post from a friend of mine a few weeks ago and just the importance of community and the people around us and how we get caught up in our phones.
For me it’s not about being on the phone but being on the phone when I am around others and that it distracts me from my time with them. That causes friendships and relationships to strain. This is why I have decided for the next week I will be unplugging my phone from all social media and only responding to text and phone calls when it is appropriate. When I am with friends and others I will keep my phone off. This is something that I should have been doing a long time ago, yet here is to now. There will be a follow-up next week.