Blackout
News flash: I survived the social media blackout and I did not cheat! I was surprised by my strength that kept me from giving in and downloading all social media platforms back onto my phone. Part me of me thought I would at least give into Instagram (my addiction), but I was too determined to prove myself and my boyfriend wrong. The night before the blackout began, I told my boyfriend I was going to delete Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Rolling his eyes, laughing, he said, "Oh please you could never go a day without Instagram. You would probably shrivel up and die! Don't set goals that are too far out of reach." Let me just say, after this comment, I was bound and determined to prove him wrong. Although I remained strong throughout the 48 hour period, I found myself habitually opening my phone and scrolling to the second page of apps, searching for Instagram and Snapchat! Over this time, I discovered that I could probably delete Facebook forever and not miss it. However, Instagram and Snapchat are a different story. The first morning of the blackout, I got dressed and put on a new pair of shoes my mom had bought me. I automatically went to the place my Snapchat would be so that I could snap a picture to my mom, showing her my shoes. Remembering it was gone, I took a picture with the actual camera on my phone and sent it to her via text message. Sending a picture over text felt awkward and out of the norm for me, due to the fact I ALWAYS use Snapchat for that. This proved to me that I use this app more (and am more reliant on it) than I thought.
Although I got used to not using Snapchat, there were multiple times where I felt the urge to get on Instagram. One of these moments was when I was walking through campus. Usually, I use social media as I walk through the crowded campus because I feel like making eye contact with students is awkward. This sounds silly, but proves the negative influence social media has on my social skills, which is ironic. I realized that I rely on social media, especially Instagram, to get me out of uncomfortable situations, as do many other students (which I noticed as I did not have my face in my phone like I normally do). I also felt the urge to get on Instagram after thinking about how many posts I was going to miss over 48 hours. I thought, "I could just give in to Instagram only, that way I won't have as much catching up to do! I'll just see how not having Snapchat and Facebook affect me." But when I thought this, I realized I just proved to myself that I'm more addicted to Instagram than anything, and I need to follow through. And yes...unfortunately, I did say addicted.
I have to admit, not using social media for 48 hours was a struggle for me. However, I think I did find myself to be more productive in a couple of ways. This past week, I was overwhelmed with homework. Thursday, the first full day of blackout, I had a load of work to finish before the weekend. I expected it to take me all day to complete, but it only took me a few hours because I did not take social media check breaks! When I have the notifications on, especially for Snapchat, I feel like I need to check it and respond immediately. When you add up all of the time you take each time you check a notification, it ends up being a big chunk of time you could have been more productive in your homework. I saw this when it only took me a few hours to do my work instead of all day. I was also more productive in the mornings. As soon as I got up, I got ready, ate breakfast, and had extra time to read my Bible. Because of this, I had a more positive attitude throughout the day. If I had used that time to scroll social media, I would be rushed and not as motivated to have a good day.
During my time away from social media, I missed Instagram the most. I missed having it as a time-filler and a comfort in crowds. On the other hand, I missed Facebook the least. I haven't even added it back yet! I feel like I don't need Facebook because it's just a repeat of what's on Instagram (except for all the posts my grandma tags me in). Although I'm glad to have Instagram and Snapchat back, I am determined to make a habit of not getting on them as much as I used to. I found value in spending time reading my Bible instead, and paying more attention to my surroundings. I gained a better insight into my obsessive behavior with social media. Before the blackout, I wouldn't have called it obsessive!
Although I got used to not using Snapchat, there were multiple times where I felt the urge to get on Instagram. One of these moments was when I was walking through campus. Usually, I use social media as I walk through the crowded campus because I feel like making eye contact with students is awkward. This sounds silly, but proves the negative influence social media has on my social skills, which is ironic. I realized that I rely on social media, especially Instagram, to get me out of uncomfortable situations, as do many other students (which I noticed as I did not have my face in my phone like I normally do). I also felt the urge to get on Instagram after thinking about how many posts I was going to miss over 48 hours. I thought, "I could just give in to Instagram only, that way I won't have as much catching up to do! I'll just see how not having Snapchat and Facebook affect me." But when I thought this, I realized I just proved to myself that I'm more addicted to Instagram than anything, and I need to follow through. And yes...unfortunately, I did say addicted.
I have to admit, not using social media for 48 hours was a struggle for me. However, I think I did find myself to be more productive in a couple of ways. This past week, I was overwhelmed with homework. Thursday, the first full day of blackout, I had a load of work to finish before the weekend. I expected it to take me all day to complete, but it only took me a few hours because I did not take social media check breaks! When I have the notifications on, especially for Snapchat, I feel like I need to check it and respond immediately. When you add up all of the time you take each time you check a notification, it ends up being a big chunk of time you could have been more productive in your homework. I saw this when it only took me a few hours to do my work instead of all day. I was also more productive in the mornings. As soon as I got up, I got ready, ate breakfast, and had extra time to read my Bible. Because of this, I had a more positive attitude throughout the day. If I had used that time to scroll social media, I would be rushed and not as motivated to have a good day.
During my time away from social media, I missed Instagram the most. I missed having it as a time-filler and a comfort in crowds. On the other hand, I missed Facebook the least. I haven't even added it back yet! I feel like I don't need Facebook because it's just a repeat of what's on Instagram (except for all the posts my grandma tags me in). Although I'm glad to have Instagram and Snapchat back, I am determined to make a habit of not getting on them as much as I used to. I found value in spending time reading my Bible instead, and paying more attention to my surroundings. I gained a better insight into my obsessive behavior with social media. Before the blackout, I wouldn't have called it obsessive!
Comments
Post a Comment