Even if today, I am not going according to the statistics, but every 9 out of 10 man/woman/children are being engaged as the internet users making the internet as an inseparable part of their lives. The internet, latest gadgets and the thousands of applications, are of course making people’s lives easy and more convenient, so it’s not that big deal to spend time online.
But it does matter the way we people see, experiences and understand this virtual world as soon it’s being a part of our existence. But are we really spending a quality time using the internet, matters a lot? And it’s not just the talk of the amount of time, a person spends on the internet, but its always been about the usefulness and correct consumption of time, while surfing the internet.
Whether it’s a smartphone, PC or a tablet phone or even an IPad, sometimes it really amazes me that what’s so unique about this and the internet, that really have this capability and a type of readiness which could keep a person engaged on it, till a long period of time? It really happens, and we people don’t really realize that how it takes from a second to a minute and how it slowly turns into an hour. Amazed! But the truth is that, as sometimes in my early 20s, I experienced it too. And it’s always about that social media, whether its Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, SnapChat, Twitter, Pinterest, have taken all of my time or I should say carelessly I’ve spent time on it. But have we really thought what is that thing which literally engages us and our lives towards the screens? Always I have thought that ‘Social Media Addiction’, there’s ain’t anything like that, but personally I’ve experienced it too. No doubt, its an easy source of getting in touch with another distant person and also could share valuable information through it, an excellent source of promoting business, the simple reason being almost everyone is out there on social media having their accounts tuned up for latest updates whether its sports, fashion, nearly events, personal videos, new gadgets, and it countless, one of the reasons why social media and the internet can be used throughout the day.
But the actual thing is we people never know how it turns into an unusual habit of seeing and checking the social media and often we think our day is felt incomplete without checking our social media accounts or posting something on it.
WHY IS SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTING US?
Have you ever realized feeling frustrated when an online friend hasn’t replied back to your text or you’ve posted pictures and didn’t received a single like on it or posted something as necessary facts or amusing news and your online friends on your social media account doesn’t pay attention towards it?
The reason behind it is that you’re being addictive to the online world and social media accounts so much that you want attention and drawn towards it so desperately that you can’t even stop thinking about it. Therefore, you gradually pick up the habit to check it, whether any kind of response had come or not? And from the sources coming from around the world stating social media results had shown decreasing mental and emotional health, which could often lead to lack of control on life and real happenings. I am saying this because I have experienced it and getting more addicted towards it, its likely to seem at a later stage, social media is ruling your life. That is often the case with teenagers when they start to fall in love with their social media presence than anything.
IS BEING ACTIVE ONLINE PRESSURIZING YOU TO BE AVAILABLE?
Being passed from my high school, I got involved with social media accounts. As soon as I learned to post pictures, share information and make many social connections. O My Gosh! Within a year’s time, I got addicted and began to use social media on daily basis, likely after every hour, I used to check my accounts. Within that period, it has surely taken away my normal routine and activities and it has affected my emotional health to an extent, as I felt anxious and more often frustrated/annoyed, when someone didn’t reply me till the expected time, and when my posts went unread by many people. So I slowly developed this weird and bad habit to take things being up on my social media accounts ‘TOO PERSONALLY’ and I realized soon that why it matters to me that much?
I started to feel low & depressed. This all happened to me 8 years back. Now when I remember the past years, I realize that I am not the only one to deal with the same. It’s not natural, but gradually it acquires a person’s mind space.
TRUTH: WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, LIFE WAS AND IS MORE MERRIER!
Having stopped my habit of utilizing time on social media. I had to stop being on it for almost a year, except the accounts which were actually useful. On a thoughtful note, life is much more than devices and social media and really things won’t be changing much because earlier we people used to spend quality time even without any these things and we were really happy. But obviously, the need to invent social media and related account, as time is changing, so as technology and the so as we people, and the need to interact with each other easily and help to connect with what’s going on with world, defines need for social media which ultimately creates urge for making one’s social image.
USUALLY WHY A PERSON USES SOCIAL MEDIA?
When I am on social media and checking up the feed, People! It can really trigger up anybody’s mind to explore more things about our online friends and following major events and activities and once you’ve logged in, you can’t really log out, staying on for seeing all the posts of the day, unless you’re busy with work at workplace or home. For me, it was my distant friends and family with whom I can easily connect on a cheaper basis and a much more reliable way. Frankly speaking, as for some people, friends and family posts become a priority o like and follow, rather than knowing unknown people. But in a sense, the purpose of starting social media meant connecting worldwide and having a fair view of the things happening across nations.
TAKING FREQUENT BREAKS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA IS A BETTER OPTION.
Taking breaks at appropriate time from the social media, becomes essential for the teenagers and growing youngsters because they tend to compare themselves socially and take the inappropriate understanding in their heads that everything must be followed which the world is showing us, in fact, the kids driven by the urge to create social identity online and building that image, tries to change their social behavior and attitude which their ‘Facebook’ or any other account teaches them. Staying on almost for hours, does have an impact on their mental health and it could affect anybody’s, making them emotionally vulnerable and they get into emotional connect with their social media presence, defined as another type of SOCIAL LIFE.
But if someone is operating an account on Linkedin, it’s a good option for increasing your favorable chance to get noticed professionally across the world. Still, exceptions have been applied to every area.
HOW USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LESS TIME OR DEACTIVATING IT FOR A WHILE AFFECTED ME?
We all know that apart from social media, we all have a beautiful life to live, have families, thriving careers and lifestyle and much more to do. Really unplugging helps you to recharge for your actual life and helps you to focus on really important things and real social connections which seemed to be lost in the midst.
In my college time, unplugging helped me getting back to my studies, scored excellent grades, luckily got to know that how much I love reading books. The most important thing, taking a break from social media, gave me a better quality of relaxation and sleep which I think is one of the major problems with the social media addictives. So I would highly recommend unplugging for a while from social media because who knows, one can get in touch with his/her hidden talent.
BEWARE! SPECIALLY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA FAKE ACCOUNTS!
So while, I am on social media, definitely till now I’ve known to use it often, and not for long hours. Mostly used the time to share interests and updates in groups. The most important thing, it becomes necessary to check accounts of unknown people, if you are adding them because, if another person’s intentions are malicious, it could cause trouble. As you don’t know them and if they are faking things, you wouldn’t know the right information about them. Beware, because really some people are like that.
THE ‘SOCIAL MEDIA’ CONCLUSION (BOTTOMLINE) :
To sum up all these things, the bottom line is that social media accounts and related technology are changing the world and moreover people’s perspective towards it. If it has its “Pros”, it also has its “Cons” when not used wisely. There are more things yet to come, I hope you make the most intelligent and careful use of your social media accounts which adds to your benefit.
Originally published at www.artizone.in