Elizabeth Mitlyng

People are so dependent on their social media that it can disrupt connections with their peers.

My social media use was negatively impacting my sleep schedule, productivity, and connection with the world around me, and I needed a change. I decided to go a week without accessing Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, and invited some other Knight Errant writers to join the challenge.

In anticipation of the week ahead, most of the participants were looking forward to the challenge and also liked the idea of getting a break from social media. It can be frustrating to try and break a bad habit alone, so participating in a dedicated challenge helps with accountability and persistence. “I always try and convince myself that I’m not addicted to social media or my phone, so I feel like this is a good opportunity for me to prove to myself that I can do it. It’ll be kind of nice just for a week to get away from all the noise and constantly feeling like I have to be on social media to be relevant and connected,” sophomore Elizabeth Cornell said.

Nevertheless, the preparation didn’t come without doubts or fears, especially with the possibility of missing out on something important. Social media is so ingrained in daily life that it can be intimidating to go a week without it. For seniors Mali Arreola and Lucy Loes, social media allows them to stay updated on lots of exciting parts of senior year, so it was hard without it. “There was one point where my friend sent her college decision to the BSM Class of 25 [Instagram account], and I really wanted to repost it,” Arreola said.

Some people, especially teenagers, feel a responsibility to stay caught up on all the social events happening around them, which can make it seem like social media is a necessity. Additionally, lots of people stay connected in their relationships through social media apps/platforms, which made this week extra challenging. “Some friends only have my contact through social media, so if they need me, I wouldn’t be able to be there for them,” junior Anna Kelm said.

Most people have a love/hate relationship with social media. Some of the positives are that it can extend communication, provide new communities, and serve as inspiration and a way to express creativity. Despite the fun outlets social media has, it can also be addictive or negative towards mental health and productivity. Some might even feel an obligation to have social media, regardless of their real opinions of it. “I honestly kind of hate it. I’ve tried to delete Snapchat numerous times before, but my friends will say, ‘No, keep it, it’s fun to see what you’re doing,’ but I don’t like it,” Kelm said.

Social media reaches across the globe, and it can expose us to different cultures and events. It can inform us about issues and bring people together. “I feel like it’s a main way of getting information about what’s going on in the world, so I feel like it connects me to the world around me and makes me more aware of things that are happening all around the world, not just within my little community. I also feel like it can help me reach out to people and make connections that way,” Cornell said.

However, social media can do the opposite, disconnecting us from the world and preventing us from being truly present. “I think that my social skills and my relationships with other people are also affected. Since we’ve gotten so used to interacting through social media and things like that, I feel like we’re not as comfortable having real-life connections. At lunch, I’ll be sitting with my friends and we’ll just be scrolling on social media instead of talking to each other,” Cornell said.

Social media is often used as a form of procrastination and can affect productivity and schoolwork. It can be addicting because it doesn’t take much effort, and people often get stuck scrolling, which ends up consuming a lot of time when they could be studying or getting their assignments done. “I think my school work is definitely [affected], especially recently, like it’s second semester, fourth quarter, senior year, and I’m sliding hard. It’s so easy to procrastinate when you have something that keeps giving you content over and over again,” Arreola said.

The distraction of social media can leave people feeling guilty for their screen time. It’s not uncommon to get sucked into watching short-form videos or looking up random things on social media. “It feels like you’re a little bit disconnected from reality the more you’re scrolling, because you can spend an hour on that and not realize, and then you’re like, ‘wow, I just wasted a huge chunk of time doing literally nothing.’ So I guess when you’re not presently scrolling, you feel bad about it,” Loes said.

Ultimately, the choice to have social media is up to each individual, and if it seems to be getting in the way of core values and priorities, maybe it’s a sign to try a week without it, or even delete it. Social media will probably always be there, so working on being present and forging real connections is a lot more valuable in the long run. “When you’re at the end of your life, not to be dark or anything, but you’re gonna want to look back and remember your own memories. You’re not going to be wanting to lay there in your hospital bed thinking about, ‘wow, I’m really happy I watched other people live their lives, but never lived my own,” Kelm said.