I love coming home from a long day of school, entering my bedroom with a to-do list full of assignments, dirty laundry piled up in the corner, no dinner plans, and ultimately deciding to lay on my bed, phone in hand. To many people, the image I’ve painted in your head gives the impression that I’m lazy or that I’m irresponsible, but that isn’t the case.
There’s so much negative connotation towards screen time or media absorption. I’m constantly being told that I’m “rotting away on my phone” or that I’m “wasting my prime years” by being on my phone. I do feel it’s necessary to note that there are some cases where people are genuinely addicted to social media. However, for the majority of us, that isn’t the case. I would even go to say I feel a sense of productivity from most of my time behind a screen.
When I decide to open any of my various social media apps, the first thing I see are notifications from my friends. The time I spend responding to those notifications is what I like to refer to as “networking”, “planning”, or my personal favorite “doing my research”. Take Instagram for example. If a friend has posted a photo from a trip, it’s my responsibility to comment on their post, acknowledging it (networking). If they are a friend I see regularly, I also have to make sure to take a mental note of the post (doing my research). This way when I see them next, I am well educated on the topic of their trip and can partake in conversation regarding this topic.
Now how about other platforms? Most if not all of the popular social media platforms also have a messaging option. Especially for Snapchat, Messenger, or iMessage, their main purpose is the interaction between users. This is where the “planning” comes into play. When me and my friends are trying to plan anything, we text each other. Whether it be for school projects, carpooling, events, or even simple hangouts, we use social media to plan. This would be no different than us talking in person at school to plan, which in hindsight would easily be seen as being productive.
TikTok is another app I use regularly. Yes, it’s filled with its share of funny videos, people dancing, and other random content, but there’s also the educational side of it. There are many times that official news outlets post summaries of recent events, or I come across videos of a history buff breaking down a recent discovery. Honestly, for any realm of expertise that you need, whether it be cooking, fitness, DIYs, etc, there will always be an account for it.
I’m fully aware that the odds I’m put in a life or death situation where I need to know how to make an excellent gluten-free muffin is slim to none. But, having that in my back pockets brings me joy and excitement. Knowing that I’ve used my free time to network, plan, research, and educate myself, all in reasonable doses, is exactly why social media makes me feel productive.