A Cure to Distraction
I find myself getting a split second of spare time, and I get this small amount of time and suddenly my phone is out searching for the next bit of entertainment that I can find that will occupy my mind. Sometimes, I will be sitting down doing homework, and a tough question appears. When something becomes difficult, I’ll pick up my phone and distract my brain from the hard thing I have to do that’s coming. This action, though, is not even a conscious one. I pick up my phone subconsciously; it’s become second nature to me. I find myself losing track of time from scrolling, even though I’m stressed about the enormous number of things that I need to get done in a day.
Another thing that I started to notice is the way it makes me feel. After sitting on my phone for hours consuming different media sources, I feel gross, lazy and so much worse than I did before I went on my phone. I find myself wishing I were doing what the people I see in the media are doing. Of course, I wish I were traveling the world, hiking a mountain in the Alps or lying on the beach in Hawaii. My brain can’t help but wish I were doing these things when I see how fun they look, which then in turn makes me feel a bit sad about what I’m currently doing.
So I decided to take a break, step away for a while and detox from the media. I deleted Instagram from my phone – just the app, not my account. This is pretty much the only form of social media that I go on for long periods of time. I’ve noticed changes since: more time, less stress, a lot less caring about what’s going on with social media and just a general feeling of being more present.
When I open my phone now and instantly check for something to occupy my brain and my time, I step back with a new realization. I realize that I’m searching for something to show me a quick bit of entertainment when, really, I could just look at the world around me.
Taking the time away from it has brought me this new realization and awareness of my time. This article is not saying to delete social media forever, or any other forms of entertainment. I agree with most people when I say it’s really fun to relax and scroll on your phone. It’s also fun to keep up with people and see where life has taken them. It keeps you updated on family and friends, and keeps you in touch with others a little easier than texting them, which I think is important.
But I do think it wastes so much of your precious time. So if you take some time away from Instagram, you may realize how much time is truly wasted. So maybe if some form of media is on your phone, delete it, take time away from it and see how you feel.