Truth be told, social media is bomb! Not just because it keeps you engaged with diverse people, but you also get to learn a lot about the cultures and traditions of others. An added benefit is, you get to stalk – in a not so creepy way – your crush or something cheesy like that, and you also get to know if the guy/girl you’re about to go on a date with is a serial killer or serial lover. Still there are limits.
The other day I overheard a lady, poker-faced, telling another that she cannot survive a minute without her phone. Shocking huh? Not quite.
In this age of information and social networking, we cannot deny the influence our smart phones have over our ‘real-life’ social lives. You hang out with friends, but your eyes are affixed on your phone. You have more fake Facebook friends than real ones. You basically live for the likes and follows, and measure your success in life by that. You’ve fallen into depression because you believe every deceptive exorbitance you see on Instagram. And the list goes on…
What’s wrong with us? When did we become so delusional? We really need to put our phones down and live! Here are ways we think might help you break free from the social media bondage.
Start small: take a stroll without your phone.
An hour. But don’t just strut around idly, the idea is to take in everything you see; look around, smile and say hi to complete strangers, buy some Suya and if the Suya guy isn’t there yet, buy fried Yam and Plantain. Live in the moment.
Delay your data subscription.
Test the waters a bit and avoid subscribing for two or three days. This might be a bit difficult as you’re likely to have withdrawal symptoms – kidding! However resist the temptation.
Prioritize and get busy.
Busy people don’t live on social media (yup I went there). Its mind boggling how some people are on social media 24 hours; nonstop chatting, Tweeting, Facebook-ing… repeating. You need to determine what’s important in life and make decisions based on your priorities. Is social media more important than achieving your dreams? Remember, you don’t need to be a university graduate to take steps towards your dream, start now. Make plans and start taking definitive steps toward them. When you get there, you’ll have more people following you on twitter and more fake Facebook friends – it’s a win-win.
Life is short. Live; Laugh; Love.