Welcome back to another instalment of ‘Becoming the Main Character’ where I divulge my tips and tricks on how to get that ‘main character energy’ we all deserve. This week’s topic is social media – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Dear Social Media,
We’ve had a good run, you and I, but I just think it’s time we took a break from each other. You were there for me when I was bored, procrastinating, or needed something to do to make myself look less awkward at a party. But if we are honest, our relationship is becoming toxic. I just need to focus on myself for a while and I think you should do the same as you could seriously do with some updates. Maybe one day I’ll be back, but for now this is goodbye.
-K
By 2022 I’d like to have reduced my social media intake by at least fifty percent. A bold statement, I know. As I type this, I can already feel that all too familiar feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. Sometimes it feels like my whole life is run through social media: University events, friends and family, even job opportunities are all only a few clicks away. So, the possibility that I could exist entirely outside of the internet is kind of terrifying and liberating.
I was indoctrinated into the social media frenzy pretty late so it’s crazy to me that in the last 5 years it has become such a huge part of my life. Ten-year-old me would be horrified to know that in eleven years they would rather be inside staring at a tiny screen than outside with my friends. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop me from spending almost 8hrs a day scrolling mindlessly through apps on my phone though.
But at least I’m not the only one. With the rise in ‘influencer’ stardom over the last few years it seems like everyone has become obsessed with sharing every aspect of themselves online but at what cost?
While social media has the power to bring us together like never before, spending all this time on our phones can really leave you feeling burnt out. The urge to connect and keep up with everything all the time can be very overwhelming and paradoxically leave you feeling more alone than before. Scrolling through social media it is easy to forget that there is more to life than what people show online. Instead, you are left comparing your everyday life, the ups and downs, to only the best bits of everyone else’s.
So, what do we do now?
Well, for me the answer is to shift my media consumption down and spend more time connecting with people in-person where possible. And I would strongly urge others to do the same. Also taking less pictures and instead focusing on the moment. Posting about your life on social media may make you feel like the main character for a few minutes but the long-term effects of social media consumption is not worth it. When you watch tv you’ll notice that the main characters just do things and it’s the side characters that document these events.