Social Media Addicts

Until I deleted Facebook & Twitter from my phone, I didn’t realize how dependent I had become on them. Throughout the day, I find myself glancing at my cellphone. If it’s not a glance, then I have picked it up in an attempt to search for apps that are not there. I have cut my social media use by about 90%. When I do go onto my desktop and check, I get to see it in another perspective. I have missed absolutely NOTHING important. There isn’t a single like, share or comment important enough for me to have to check my social platforms more than once or twice a day. Scrolling through my feed, I am seeing everyone’s desperation for validation as they upload every activity, thought & meal to their social media. Sentences clearly thought through in an attempt to garner more likes , retweets, shares, etc as far as the eye can see. Some, are simply sharing their lives with family on a private platform, but many are clearly ADDICTED to social media. Do thousands of people really need to know your thoughts every other hour? Probably not. No worries, I used to be that person. Not only with reality TV, but my social networks as well. Looking back, I am getting pretty fucking embarrassed with myself! In 2012, 2015? I was tweeting 5-8 tweets a day. If I could go back and talk to myself then I’d say, “Adri, WHO FUCKING CARES! Get a damn life!” That is exactly it. Our phones are robbing us of our lives.

When did life become like this? 2013? We never even call each other anymore. Some of us get anxiety at the thought of dialing a number. Everyone is big and brave behind their keyboard/camera. However, they balk at the thought of actually having a real conversation with someone.  I believe our personal relationships are truly suffering as a result of this.  Last night, my friend Lauren and I chatted on the phone for about 1.5 hours. Since my move from LA, she is the number one person I met there who has kept in constant contact with me via spoken word. We discussed how texting , Facebook messenger, DM’s, etc have made friendships very surface things. They have also taken away our ability to really read people. Instead of hashing out our issues and telling people they hurt our feelings, etc, we hide behind our technology. We sit around offended and passive aggressive post shit on our walls, AKA VAGUEBOOKING. We join movements and whine and bitch on our platforms ALL DAY thinking that whining and bitching is making a difference in the world. I believe, technology is stirring us into a negative shit soup.

We have forgotten how to be in the moment in our own lives. We have forgotten to put our technology down sometimes and just LIVE. Look, the idea of Facebook, twitter and Instagram is great. However, anything you have to be on THAT much throughout the day is an ADDICTION. If you cannot get it under control and minimize it, you are an addict. I was a social media addict. I am currently in recovery and discovering just how much of my life I missed out on by being glued to my stupid phone. Now,  when I post something online….it is because it is worth posting. It isn’t out of desperation for validation through likes. It’s because I felt like it, not because of some unspoken NEED to. I plan on not downloading those addictive apps to my phone ever again. I am getting outside a LOT more than before. My productivity level has skyrocketed!

This photo swiped off the net. I found it profound. NO ONE is looking at the actual THING. They are ALL looking at THEIR PHONES.