Last week, I was in my hometown to celebrate my birthday weekend. I had planned to return to Florida State on Monday the 26th, but Hurricane Ian had other plans. Out of concern for my family and not wanting to be on the roads as people were trying to evacuate to safer areas, I opted to stay at home, hunker down and wait out the storm. I’m sure you’ve heard plenty about Hurricane Ian and this article isn’t really about the significant physical impacts. However, you’ve probably heard that it was much worse than anticipated in some areas. I mean, it was bad enough that they even closed Waffle House.
First and foremost, the damage Ian left behind and the lives it took are immeasurably devastating. Unprecedented flooding and wind damage ruined homes and businesses, and with that took many individuals’ livelihoods. The tens of thousands of homes that were left standing lost access to electricity and internet for multiple days. My home was thankfully left largely untouched, but we did lose all power and internet for several days. I am choosing to take this experience and see it in a positive light. I chose to learn from it.
As lucky as I was to have such minimal storm impacts, it was a shock to suddenly live without many of the comforts we take for granted, most notably having access to the world wide web. Due to modernity, our minds are accustomed to constant stimulation. Social media has ensured a constant stream of ever-changing imagery and information. I had become used to the most saturated form of entertainment and expected it to be available 24/7. That level of unlimited access is a privilege, trust me. I spent most of my time trying to decide what to do with myself. I could not use Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Netflix or even text messages. The number of times I went to look something up because I forgot I couldn’t really is laughable.
It was most definitely an adjustment, even excluding the lack of air conditioning. Thanks to our generator and my mom keeping around outdated technology, I managed to watch a movie on an old laptop that had a DVD drive. We even hooked up an old DVD player to the large TV and had a rare family movie night, which was a highlight of the storm aftermath experience. But essentially, without access to the internet, I didn’t have that stimulation to fill my brain that I was accustomed to, so I began to think.
Something I had never considered was how eager I was for the next day to come when I didn’t have the internet. Obviously, I was bored, but that made everything I did do much more exciting. I found myself excited to get a good night’s sleep and wake up the next day. Social interactions with my family were my only form of entertainment. I had nothing to keep me up because there was nothing to be interested in on the internet. My slight addiction to scrolling wasn’t an option, so my brain simply shut off. During the days, I filled my time with storm cleanup and mundane things I normally don’t pay attention to. I realized that a part of my brain is always occupied by something on the internet. I am usually thinking about a post or video I saw, something that upset or angered me, why someone hasn’t texted me back, etc. Without that option, my mind was clear, and I was able to freely focus on my thoughts. I had no FOMO because I couldn’t do anything about it. The choice was made for me and for some reason, I very much appreciated it. I now understand the value and benefits of taking social media breaks.
I hope this read tells you your screen time is too high and that life is much simpler without knowing everyone else’s every thought or move. I hope you take time for your own thought processes and allow your mind to clear occasionally. I hope you realize that there is much more in life to be appreciative of than what you find online and I hope you learn to see the positives in every situation.
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