As we age, the true power of time presents itself. We’re made aware of the inevitable, the fact that we are all getting older. Time seems to go by much faster, and with each passing year, the worth and value of the present become increasingly more existent among our subconscious. We can attempt to fight the hourglass, but what will really make a difference in our lives is to truly live inside every moment and experience each second as a gift.
I find myself plagued by procrastination more often then I would like to admit. Now thanks to technology, the opportunity to distract my mind is permanently present. Our society is profoundly plugged in, and now viewing the world through screens and lights feels just as natural as waking up in the morning – we no longer question why we’re doing it. On a daily basis, what seems to attract my attention along with the majority of the public’s, is social media. The attraction is almost like a magnetic field. I have a job to focus on, relationships to maintain, homework due, exams to prepare for, and a train of potential to keep steadily on the tracks. Yet, I struggle with being yanked into the current of the abyss that is the interweb.
As a scholar and a writer, this pattern of distraction and disconnection has truly cost me a great amount of time. It’s haunting to think about how many hours of my life I’ve lost due to scrolling aimlessly up and down a screen. Here are just a few things that I could be doing to enhance my life instead of sitting and looking at my phone: Hanging out with my family and friends, doing school work, reading a book, playing with my dog, setting goals and executing them, writing, meditating or exercising. This list could go on indefinitely because checking up on social media apps – in my opinion – is just so insignificant compared to everything else in my life. I’m an artist. I’m a writer. I should be strong enough to resist the temptation of being spun into a web of cyberspace.
In spite of it all, I do not view social media as something entirely negative. Social media has become a powerful revolutionary tool, unlocking a whole new world of ideas and self-expression. It is a platform used to display creativity. Inspiration takes on many forms, and through social media, we’ve gained the ability to share more of ourselves with the world – more art, creations, thoughts, and wisdom. The amount of inspiration you can find from social media and online sources is infinite. Online communities can be comforting and beneficial. Today we even receive the majority of our global and local news through social media, due to its ability to reach millions of people in seconds. On the flipside, viewing the work of others can also distract me from work of my own. Seeing what beauty is out there and what other people are doing makes me very happy, but then I got to thinking: what am I doing, and what beauty am I creating?
Having social media accounts sometimes feels like being in a toxic relationship. One moment I can be in the zone while writing a paper, studying for a test, or maybe I’m hanging out with a couple of friends. Suddenly, for some odd reason, my attention is given to the online community rather than the physical world around me. I’m allowing myself to drift away from self-progression, and into a mostly meaningless indulgence. Why? None of those instances are appropriate times to detach my brain from what I have going on right in front of me. In almost every occurrence, my distraction has something to do with my phone or social media. It only takes a split-second for my mind to wander, and completely disregard my responsibilities.
Reflecting on what social media means to me, and how it affects my life, specifically my creativity, resonates a feeling inside me that just can’t seem to shake. I know for a fact that I would write and create more often if I wasn’t so easily distracted by social media. The internet is like a black hole, it sucks you in and removes you from space and time. One moment I’ll be reading a news article and then an hour later when I’m watching a Lou Reed interview from 1975, I realize how deep I traveled. Entertainment has the ability to take you out of this realm and into another, and that’s the beauty of it. However, I think using social media in moderation can only arise positive outcomes. Social media ultimately, above all else, hinders my creativity. I wonder if this is the case for many others out there as well.
I enjoy seeing and knowing what my family and friends around the world are up to, and what the world looks like through their eyes. Social media streaming platforms grant me the privilege to experience panels, concerts, and events that I cannot be physically present for. These are some of the reasons why I’m thankful that social media exists. I am extremely grateful for the instant access I have to information in this day and age. However, being employed in addition to being a full-time student makes it difficult to reconcile with the fact that a lot of my ideas and creativity are put on hold until I complete tasks that I’m responsible for. Getting lost in social media only prolongs my creative process further. Time is of the essence. Managing and prioritizing my time is something that I will continue to work on. Social media is a gift that comes with a price, and like the late and great Frank Sinatra says, “That’s life”.
