As a member of our fast-paced society, and especially as a collegiate, technology is a huge part of our daily lives. How many times do you check your social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook…they all count!) each day? Do you reach for your phone the second your alarm goes off and start scrolling through your news feeds? When you’re at dinner with your friends in the Bison, do you send more texts than you participate in the real-life conversation? It’s so easy to get sucked into the world behind our screens!
We are conditioned to be connected 24/7 and to expect immediate gratification. For example, when the sometimes-spotty wifi in my dorm room cuts out in the middle of the episode I’m watching on Netflix, I’m immediately irritated—even if it returns a mere two minutes later. We want search results at the speed of light and often expect to find out the latest and most important news via a text alert or social media update.
As I write this, my phone is less than a foot from arms reach and my heart rate is slightly increasing knowing that it only has 7% battery left. I have five separate desktops up on my computer, each of which has at least three screens open to various apps, webpages, documents, blog posts, and more. My earbuds are plugged in and 8tracks is DJ-ing me a fabulous playlist, while my charger receives energy from one of the four outlets at my work space. Maybe we should call my current setup, “Chronicles of a 21st Century Tech Girl” or “The Little Apple Products that could” (I’m making the assumption that I’m not the only one who knows this as the “norm”!).
So, the real question is…is it possible to take time off and truly unplug?
Check in with yourself
Are “likes”, “retweets”, and “favorites” really that important to you? Sure, it feels good to know that someone (maybe someone you don’t even know personally!) agrees with your status or appreciates your 140 characters of inspiration, but is it really essential to your emotional well-being? Probably not. Personally, I often feel like I’m a slave to my phone when I’m constantly refreshing my email so I don’t miss anything important and clicking on apps more as something to do and less because they’re really piquing my interest. It’s an exhausting cycle that’s hard to break. But when we evaluate how it makes us feel, we’re one step closer to being able to put space between ourselves and the many screens competing for our attention.
Set a time limit
It might sound silly to designate time in your daily schedule for checking your phone, but in reality, it can help you become aware of how often you’re doing so sheerly out of habit. If you need a mental break, set aside maybe ten or fifteen minutes to aimlessly scroll through Tumblr or Pinterest and then get back to what you really need to do. We’re all familiar with the “fifteen minutes turned into an hour” phenomena, but with some focus and perseverance, you can master the “quick” tech break!
Focus on mindful consumption
Sometimes we see headlines that sound interesting, or even bizarre. But after five minutes of reading, we’re really not any better of a person than we were before impulsively clicking. News nowadays can be, quite honestly, disheartening, and there are so many articles on the internet that are completely irrelevant to our lives (see: “31 Grilled Cheeses That Are Better Than A Boyfriend”). Be picky about what wins your attention. Read about topics that you’re interested and that expand your mind. That being said, all those BuzzFeed lists and quizzes definitely have their place…in moderation!
Declutter your desktop/home screen
Have you ever tried or considered deleting social media apps from your phone? Disclaimer: I have tried and failed multiple times, but doing it even for just a few days definitely makes you think about your actions. Is it worth it to actually text in that tweet (soooo 2010) or to go to the computer to check your Facebook groups? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t—it’s up to you, but having that awareness gives you the opportunity to reconsider the value of each individual moment of your day. You might want to also consider removing certain notifications…you aren’t a dog required to answer to each bell and whistle!
Live in the moment
Slow down! Our pace of life is often so overwhelmingly fast that when we do take time to wind down, we either don’t know what to do with ourselves, or we immediately pass out (nope…is that just me?). Let’s take the time to enjoy a movie with our girlfriends without having to respond to all the messages on our phones or make sure we’re liking all of those trendy Instagram posts—they’ll still be there in an hour or two! I’m not undermining technology, because it’s made incredible contributions toward progressing our society in positive ways. There are a lot of ways that we’re better for it. All I’m trying to say, is that the unplugged, real world has a whole lot to offer. Technology gives you the feelings of love that come from chatting with your mom over coffee or laughing uncontrollably with your friends. It sounds cliché, but being truly present in each moment is endlessly rewarding and an important gift that every one of us has the ability to embrace!