Technology is everywhere, and now-a-days it’s even pertinent to get by. But how do we draw the line? When is too much?
The average American checks social media over 110 times a day.
ONE HUNDRED AND TEN TIMES! Assuming you sleep for 8 hours each night, thats equivalent to reaching for your phone every 9 minutes. What on earth could you possibly need to check up on 6+ times an hour? I’ll answer that for you: end of an eBay bid, heated email bickering, that new guy hasn’t answered yet..sound familiar? Even if your career requires your face to be in a computer screen, what do you do on your breaks? Instead of engaging in a conversation with your cubicle mate I’m sure you instead choose to sit on social media, share pictures, or browse the web.
Regardless of your technological career requirements, what good comes from spending hours a day on social media? Ie: you’re a girl comparing yourself to size zero models or you’re a dude wishing you had that set of 8 pack abs; or maybe you’re stalking your ex and not-so-silently cursing the day he/she found someone new. It’s wishful thinking to say that this doesn’t happen, but we all have done some form or another of negative social media scouring. Some more extreme than others of course, but pause and think. If the post or picture or blog or tweet or comment you find yourself glued to is doing anything other than bettering your mood, why in the hell are you fixated on it? Only you have control of that scrolling finger, so do your sanity a favor and keep the internet staring to a minimum.
I hope your searches have led you to the now viral video titled “Look Up”. Yes, it requires technology to view, but the announcement has been taking Youtube and Facebook by storm. Gary Turk, a British filmmaker, brilliantly directed and starred in a 5 minute video highlighting the negative aspects of social media. When I first saw it, it was replayed 3 times in a row. Tears may or may not have formed as I found myself sitting back in my chair, speechless, save for “wow”. Because in my opinion, he hits the nail on the head.
Look around you. You’ll be astounded to see how the majority of people are glued to one screen or another.
“But that sunset was gorgeous I just had to take pictures and immediately Instagram it!!!”
Sounds ridiculous to say out loud, right? Well in reality people, thats exactly how it goes. Next time you’re marveling at natures beauty do her a favor and keep the camera at bay. Not everything needs to be in a physical snapshot posted for the world to see. So much is missed refreshing your Instagram feed every 30 seconds. Once in a while, keep it to yourself and appreciate the moment.
