We live in a society where Instagram posts are the way of saying “Happy Birthday” instead of handwritten letters, where Amazon means more than a rainforest, and Apple no longer represents a fruit. We think working out for thirty minutes every day just doesn’t fit our schedule. However, the average person scrolls 2 hours and 27 minutes daily through social media, according to Statista, and we know most of us are above average in that aspect. We prefer to focus on recording the concerts we go to instead of actually enjoying them. Most people choose to unwind by watching Netflix or HBO Max rather than catching up on a great book or going for a walk. The list goes on and on. 

 

Technology has its perks, and that is beyond doubt. If it weren’t for electronic devices, we wouldn’t be overcoming this recent pandemic the way we are. We wouldn’t have kept receiving education even while staying home, facetime calls wouldn’t have happened, and news wouldn’t have been as accessible. However, like everything in life, we must aspire to find balance. We can’t spend a whole day in front of screens, but we shouldn’t shut them out of our lives either, as it would be unrealistic and impractical. 

 

I believe the goal is to plan our lives regardless of social media and then include this resource as a way of having fun, but not the only way. Imagine watching a TV Show where the main character does nothing more than use their phone, computer, iPad, or any other device. Would you watch it? What would be interesting about it? None of us are supposed to live life through our screens; we are meant to enjoy the little moments, laugh, walk, cry, talk, dance, sing, cook, read… Now, I ask you to go into your phone and search your screen time. When you have it, ask yourself: Would I spend this same amount of time doing something else? If your answer is yes, then use this time on your other activity instead of staring at a screen, and if it’s no, make sure to decrease it. If you manage to do so, you’ll be obtaining the perfect balance, where you’ll receive the benefits of technology without getting consumed by it.