Lexi: “Do you want to grab some dinner?”
Me: “Yeah, I know, right.”
I am insanely unskilled in the realm of multi-tasking. I can’t pat my head and rub my tummy or follow directions and write at the same time. In the age of social media, this is a huge issue. Between hitting up the gram, checking my snaps, reading captions, and watching tv shows, I believe I have missed a lot of the things that have happened around me (especially because I can’t comprehend real life things if I am also looking at my phone). This was something I knew I’ve struggled with, but after being asked to record my media habits I have really come to understand the grand issue which is social media addiction in combination with lack of focus.
Over the 24 hours of which I was asked to record my media habits, I noticed a trend of unfulfilling real world experiences. For example, as I scrolled through Instagram while standing in line to get a coffee at Starbucks yesterday morning, I didn’t take the time to say hello to the people around me or get to genuinely thank the barista who makes my cold brew every morning. Because I was so caught up in what my instagram showed, I didn’t seem to care about the real world.
Even though I could probably be using social media and the world wide web to find out interesting facts, get deep into the news, or solve deep issues, I really just looked at photos of puppies, memes, my friends, and news of low personal importance. I noticed that with all of the hours I spend on my phone and laptop, I really just use these devices as an escape from reality. It’s much easier to pick up your phone and check up on Kim Kardashian’s whereabouts than to pull up CNN on your laptop and read about politics (well, at least for me it is). This is something that makes me inspired to make more conscious choices as I consume media. Instead of dumbing myself down, I want to start looking for real, interesting, and important content.
How will I do this? Well, for starters, I’ve decided to leave my phone out of sight during the day. Instead of placing it on my desk or holding it in my hands, I’m going to leave it in my backpack (or maybe even just leave it at home- power move). When I check my phone however, I want to really attempt to consciously make choices. I’m challenging myself to consider how social media will affect my mental health, how news will sway my opinions, and how instant gratification creates issues in the real world. By doing these things, I feel as though I will be able to have a better appreciation for not only media consumption, but for life. In 2020, it’s quite easy to forget what the real world is, who lives in it, what true feelings are, and what living boldly is all about. Through these practices, I sure as hell hope to come out on the other side and smell the roses.
WHO WE ARE 