Learning to Disconnect

So I know the class of 2016 all “read” The Shallows last year prior to the Common Reading but it wasn’t until this year that I actually began to think about the author’s message and how it applies to my life. If you need a refresher, which I’m absolutely positive that no student would, Nicholas Carr argues in his book that the Internet has changed our brains and thought processes. He proposes that we no longer possess to ability to read and think critically. Additionally, Carr believes that our attention spans have decreased because we have grown accustomed to reading short blurbs from websites, making it more difficult to read lengthy articles, books, and novels. While I don’t agree with everything that Carr discusses in his book, it made me think about the prevalence of the Internet, especially social media, in my everyday life.

A few months ago, my brother told me he deleted the Facebook app from his phone. Like any other teenager, I gasped at the thought – how could he possibly do this? What if he wanted to scroll the newsfeed or look at someone’s profile? Wouldn’t he feel disconnected? The more I thought about it though, the more I was tempted to do the same. I noticed that when my friends and I hung out, half of the time would be spent with us glued to our phones, checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and whatever else. What’s the point of spending time with someone if you aren’t even connecting?

Recently I deleted Facebook and Twitter off my phone. I found it to be freeing. With no lure of checking up on my online world, I could focus more on the people I was with and divulge into more meaningful conversations. I wasn’t preoccupied with my online image, with posting pictures of my life and friends and constantly looking to see how many likes a photo gets. In another class this semester, we have discussed how social media allows individuals to form their identity like never before. You can pick and chose what to put out there and edit out the bad parts. It’s easy to project any reputation you want: post party pictures and everyone will think you’re a social butterfly; boast your achievements and awards and your friends will find you successful. This concept freaked me out. I felt self-conscious about people looking at my profile and making assumptions. It made me take down all the photos that I had published from this year at TCU – I didn’t want people to make snap judgments about me.

In distancing myself from Facebook and Twitter, I’ve adopted a “less is more” attitude toward social media. It’s entertaining to log on and update myself maybe once in a day but I no longer feel the need to constantly check up on it. I have learned to be more thoughtful about what I put out on the Internet. Although I’ve stated earlier that I don’t particularly like blogging, it’s grown on me. I think it’s a better way to put yourself out there in the online world. Rather than just thoughtless throwing different versions of the same photos on Facebook, I can carefully piece my thoughts together. People can form their judgments of me based on my opinions and ideas as opposed to some photos.

And don’t think I’m totally against Facebook, Twitter, etc. They’re great ways to stay connected with relatives and old friends. Some of my friends post interesting articles and share exciting events in their life. I just don’t think it should be substituted for actual human interaction. Don’t let Facebook and Twitter apps suck you in and away from those people you chose to spend time with!