The new generation have been bought up glued to their phones, it is like second nature to them, so much so it has become part of their identity. It is almost as if there is something within our phones that programmes us to become addicted. We all depend on our phones for maps, alarms and googling how to cook eggs, but how do we know when we’ve taken it too far?
Part of the problem is we only feel accepted if we achieve a certain number of likes, therefore we are becoming more and more obsessed. Depending on what other people think of us, rather than what we think of ourselves. However, it is important we remember to be present in day to day life. Our day shouldn’t revolve around our phones as we only show our online persona. We are all our own person and shouldn’t be afraid to be ourselves in person and online. The people who take time to give us their attention, are the ones we should appreciate. They are there because they want to be and not just craving attention or projecting boredom online.
It is so easy to spend hours scrolling though absolute nothing, of people we do not really know. It is just what they want us to see. Yet we waste so much of our time staring at their feed or reading their tweets. On the new apple update it lets you know your screen time. There is nothing more terrifying than the reality of how much time you waste on your phone. Picking up our phones just because we are bored is becoming an unhealthy habit that the younger generation depend on. Time that could be spent elsewhere, learning something new or taking time for ourselves.
It is important we rest our minds and not constantly rely on social media as we will always have the urge to scroll. When I was on a seven-hour flight it felt so weird having my phone in my hand and yet not checking social media. As long as we are constantly scrolling, our minds are struggling to keep up. Social media can fill up our minds so much so, that it becomes hard to cope. Only will we feel good about ourselves is when we can empty our minds by breaking away from social media or following mindfulness. The hours we spend on Instagram and twitter leads us to compare our lives to others. When the people we follow can barely be relatable and may have a completely different lifestyle. Resulting in a negative impact on how we feel about ourselves and others. Instead of enjoying our free time on our phones, it can make us feel like shit and yet we will continue to scroll… for eternity.
When I met up with the blogger Charlotte Hole and discussed social media and the addictions teenagers could be developing, she gave me the perfect quote ‘the slave to the scroll’. We are all a slave to the scroll and most of us do not even realise.
Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you think.
Love Tishhlah
