Reality has been replaced by reels and playtime has been replaced by screen time. This generation suffers from the acute illness of being thoroughly dependent on their cellphones. But what alternative do we have, anyway?
With the pandemic and online classes, it is most certainly impossible to actually socialize or even reduce screen time. But, perhaps other than attending online classes there should be certain rules at home like mandatory family time or something as simple as taking your dog for a walk or even making your favorite snack, but we know that is not going to work!
The pandemic has brought some families closer while some still maintain a distance from one another. While some have learned the value of quality time, and others have been stranded away from their families, one thing that has remained constant has been social media, for better and for worse.
A new phenomenon that has been plaguing the internet is online friends. The idea of befriending strangers has been drilled into us since we were 4 or 5 years old but with this new age came new rules I suppose. Now, it is understandable as to why someone would be persuaded to befriend a stranger. While it might be convenient and play a vital role in relieving stress, it might not be the safest option. With cyberbullying and identity theft being highly prevalent in today’s society, the extent to which a stranger can harm you is unimaginable.
Strangers in the virtual world might just seem like ordinary people with ordinary lives or even the perfect escape for you, but they usually aren’t who you think they are. There are criminals present all over the internet, preying on young minds, and the statistics regarding child trafficking and cyberbullying only seem to agree.
Cyberbullying is a threat to every single person who has an identity in the fishy world of the internet. Other cyber crimes include a myriad of ways to scam the denizens of the virtual world. There are thousands of sites that can just cause you to lose a fortune. A single click can cause you unprecedented damage. So, it is your responsibility to be safe and use the internet wisely.
The internet and social media platforms were made to bring people closer. They were supposed to reduce the distances that could not be tangibly reduced but somehow ended up doing quite the opposite. The messages might never stop, but what about real-life hellos? How many people, beyond your Instagram followers, would you really be able to have a meaningful conversation with? These are important questions to ask yourself and the time is now.
Social anxiety is another problem that comes with excessive use of the internet and social media.
You might be very social over the internet but when it comes to actually talking to people, you might have nothing to say. Talking to real people without the shield of their Instagram usernames and bios might seem like an arduous task to some. That is what social media has done to us. We have so much to say in the virtual world, so many memes to share, but in reality, we quiver.
Social media has presented us with a lot, but at what cost? It has left us handicapped in a world where nobody talks because they’re too busy posting stories. Social media is not going anywhere, but it’s up to us to decide how much of ourselves we want to give to it. Let’s unplug. Let’s get out on the balcony or terrace of our houses and say hello to the neighbors. Let’s maybe start writing letters once in a while? Let’s leave our room, and start looking at the world again. This time not through a lens, just through our eyes.