Social Media: Is it worth it?

I recently deleted all my social media accounts excluding one. I kept my Facebook account. Not because I think Facebook is somehow superior to other social media platforms, but because I have the most family members on Facebook and I use the platform to post links to these articles. I didn’t just delete the apps from my phone. I cleared my accounts and deleted them. They’re gone. I also deleted the Facebook app from my phone.

As shocking as it may be to those just a bit younger than me, social media is a fairly new concept. I remember when my parents first got cellphones and we could call them for a few minutes if it was an emergency. I remember when my mom got an AIM instant messenger. We sat in awe of the futuristic technology that allowed us to type messages to my grandma from our home computer and have her reply within seconds. Wow, communication with loved ones far away at our fingertips. This was the beginning of social media.

Thankfully, my parents didn’t buy me a cell phone until I was almost 16. Shortly after I graduated high school early at 16, I was allowed to get a Facebook and an Instagram. Over the last 6 years I built a following on several different social media platforms and documented everything I did by posting about it.

What started as in innocent way to communicate with friends and family all over the world became an obsession. And I am not alone in that fact. Lie to yourself all you want, but if you truly begin to analyze how you spend your time you’ll likely recognize your own obsession. Maybe it's not Facebook or Instagram. Maybe it’s Twitter or Snapchat or some other platform… Whatever it is, recognize it.

Go look at your mobile device’s battery usage breakdown in settings. How many hours of the last 24 have you spent looking at a screen? How many of those hours were spent on social media? How many times did you use looking at a screen to avoid human interaction? How many hours did you waste looking at a screen that you could have been working out, creating something, reading, talking to someone face-to-face, or just sitting outside enjoying the day. You have 24 precious hours in a day. You’re not promised anything but this moment in time. Is looking at a screen really how you want to spend your time on this earth?

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and a place. Social media is an amazing tool, but just like any other tool it can be abused and misused. Social media was designed to bring people together and it does that to a point. However, it’s also become a huge barrier between people.

Social media:

breeds comparison and conflict.

encourages self-promotion.

is a barrier for real-life human interaction.

causes anxiety.

controls and wastes your time.

spreads inaccurate information.

I could go on, but my point is, weigh the pros and cons. Is it worth it? And if it’s not, delete it. Yes, social media can be an awesome platform to encourage each other and keep in touch with loved ones. That’s why I’m keeping one platform. However, if it becomes something we can’t function without or it causes problems in our lives, it’s not worth it.

I encourage you to note how much time you spend on social media, how you use it, and how it affects your life. Then do something about it. Take a break from social media. Delete the apps. Limit your screen-time. Put the phone down and live life.

A Note to Parents:

I might not have thought it was a great idea at the time, but looking back, I’m so thankful my parents didn’t give me a phone or allow me on social media at a younger age. In fact, if I could go back, I’m not sure I’d ever get on in the first place. Put up with the pouty kids and limit their technology. They’ll thank you later.

U.S. Social Media Statistics:

88% of 18 to 29-year-olds use social media.

78% of 30 to 40-year-olds use social media.

64% of 50 to 64-year-olds use social media.

37% of 65 and older use social media.

Facebook-

74% of users visit daily.

51% of users visit multiple times a day.

Instagram-

51% of users visit daily.

81% of users 18 to 24-years-old visit daily.

55% of users 18 to 24-years-old visit multiple times a day.

Snapchat-

63% of users visit daily.

49% of users visit multiple times a day.

82% of users 18 to 24-years-old visit daily.

71% of users 18 to 24-years-old visit multiple times a day.

The average person spends 90 minutes a day looking at their phone. That's 23 days of the year looking at a phone screen. At 23 days per year, during the average person's lifespan, almost 4 years will be spent looking at a phone screen. Basically, the average person will devote as much time to checking how many likes their selfie got as they would to earning a bachelor's degree.

Is it worth it?

(http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/)

(http://www.mobilestatistics.com/mobile-news/23-days-a-year-spent-on-your-phone.aspx)