Have you ever felt the need to check your Facebook newsfeed every ten seconds? Or tweet about whatever you’re doing every few minutes? With the lure of social media – whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or the countless other platforms – it’s extremely easy to get caught up with the online world of sparkling images and texts, where you can follow your favourite celebrity everywhere; or even just announce to the world that you’re going off on vacation to somewhere warm and nice (while your friends are stuck in the godforsaken land of polar bears and whatnot). I wouldn’t exactly blame this obsession on the social media themselves. I mean, the network of friends you can reach is awesome in its own right, and it is this ability to reach people who you care about from anywhere in the world that is extremely alluring.
However, many studies have shown that people who use these social platforms are less satisfied with their lives after they have gone on Facebook, Twitter, etc. This article on Huffington Post suggest that the personal dissatisfaction stems from envy of other people’s happiness. From photos of Mike’s vacation to the sunny Italy where he enjoyed mountains of delicious pizza and gelato upon the base of the Trevi fountain (when you’ve never been out of your hometown), to Emily’s new amazing cell phone that can screen-shot at the swipe of the hand (your Nokia bullet-proof cell phone is no match); the never-ending posts wishing Aaron a happy birthday (while you only got 30 people who remembered yours), to the Da Vinci-worthy art piece that Aiden painted (you’re only a master at stick figures). Whatever it is – no one needs a research article to tell them that after seeing these things, it makes you a little uncomfortable. Not to mention seeing the glamorous lives that celebrities have. You’re bound to think your life is a little dull. Dreary. Maybe depressing is more of the right word.
Yes, everyone wants to feel like they belong. That they’re special in some way. Or maybe they merely want to share their experiences with their family or friends. Their motive isn’t really that important – but if you find yourself thinking “oh, that person’s such a show-off” or “man, I wish I had a Samsung Galaxy S3 instead of this crappy iPhone 5”, it would be a good idea to take some time off from the social media platforms you’re so connected to. I’m not saying that everyone’s experience with social media is necessarily bad; I’m not denying it’s a great way to get in touch with your friends from afar – it is a fantastic tool to use. However, finding yourself in negative trains of thought is detrimental to one’s personal development and ultimate happiness. So the question is: why not take a few days off?
For myself, I had similar experiences. Everyday after school, I felt obliged to log onto Facebook and Tumblr to check what’s going on in the world around me. Maybe a friend comes on. Then it becomes a five-hour long chat, with my homework assignments stranded in the corner until late night. Socializing is great, but in excessive amounts at inappropriate times, it becomes unhealthy. So, I had decided to take a whole week off from Facebook and never logged in to it anywhere. It takes a lot of energy and self-control to do so – but there are those who are sympathetic to your circumstance and want to help! Here are some apps you can install on your browser to block distracting sites:
- Google Chrome: StayFocused
- FireFox: Decreased Productivity
- Safari: Delay
After the week, the need to go on Facebook definitely diminished – no more procrastination. On top of that, I had deleted my Tumblr account. If social media is impacting your life in a negative way, I encourage you to take a step away from it. Maybe go volunteer in the community. Learn an instrument. Play badminton. Keep yourself busy with other more important activities. Just remember, it’s all about self-control. And taking control of your own life.
