Maybe my frontal lobe is developing, or maybe I’m giving myself too much credit and I’m just feeling guilty for spending all of my time with my nose in a screen, when I should be living in the moment.Â
As my teenage years are coming to an end, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting and trying to put my life into perspective. And, with that, I’ve realized just how many of my favorite things have become so minute in comparison to how many hours I devote to social media.
 My twelve-year-old self tends to offer me a lot of wisdom, and I think back to the idea of an adult I had imagined of myself way back then. She certainly wasn’t holed up in her room getting 15-second dopamine hits. I remember writing and thinking, if I write every day, my writing will improve so much. Yet, I feel as though I’m greatly behind on my progress. The ironic part is I’m writing this whilst surrounded by my friends, continuing the cycle.Â
 I rack my brain to find things that I truly love to do- and I realize I’m hypocritical for claiming them. Do I enjoy reading if I barely read 10 books a year now? All of these things I claim to love and practice, all wasted away at the expense of my phone. And yet- what do I have to show? One day, I will be old, and I won’t have the luxury of saying my life was fulfilled- for most of it was spent behind a screen. All of these detrimental years, given away willingly. I ask myself if it’s my fault. It is. But there aren’t many ways around it anymore. I mean, sure, no one’s making me spend hours scrolling through TikTok, but if I were to attempt to not have a smartphone, I couldn’t even imagine trying to survive in the modern world. Menus, important documents, DUO sign-ons- the amount of inconvenience that would come from trying to navigate without a cell phone would be extreme.Â
Fear of Being Left Out
TikTok memes and Instagram reels are practically a part of the modern language. Even my mother seems to be overly with the times, as she attempts to make a way too late 6-7 joke to me. It’s astounding how, in a mere 20 years ago to now culture has changed so dramatically. Is there even a chance left for real human connection when the norm is to meet people through text? Humans should be evolving, not becoming lazy and willingly giving their humanity to computers. Aren’t people getting tired of this? The simulation of having a connection? Will there ever be a breaking point when, collectively, a change is necessary? It will be too late; our brains have already been completely rewired to mellow out and avoid social interactions.Â
The Real Reason
Call me a skeptic- that’s exactly what they want you to think. Because I truly believe that all of these things are really connected to a deeper plan to make us all mind-numbed slaves to devices. Once we’re all dumb and shackled to our phones enough, it will be impossible to go back. And that’s exactly the plan. All of these billionaires are laughing as their plans work perfectly, and they can continue to reap the benefits of our demise.Â
I wonder if there’s any point at all in attempting this call to action, for I am sure we are all far past salvation. Basic assignments cannot even be completed without using AI; no one can even write a single essay by themselves, and we are supposed to be competent enough to run the world? Politicians are wasting no time absorbing our rights and dictating as they please, and no one is intelligent enough to recognize it! Let alone do anything to stop it. The easiest to control are the weakest minds. Every minute spent numbing your mind on an Instagram reel, your freedom slips farther and farther away.
The Hard Truth
I’d like to not be so extreme about this issue. I’d also like to be less hypocritical and be rid of social media altogether. But inevitably I will probably continue, as is the way of the world. But I will try harder not to let it seep so much into my life. I urge everyone to think about how many things you have unwillingly sacrificed for scrolling. Put worth into those things, and decide how much of yourself you are willing to give up for social media to take.