Taking Time for the Simple
Over the past 2 weeks I was almost unplugged. Sure I had my phone with data that allowed me to watch TikTok after TikTok and aggressively swipe through twitter during the Vice Presidential debates, but the internet was slow, so I often got irritated and put it down, which says a lot about my reliance on technology. I watched simple plots unfold on the Hallmark channel and drove through drive-throughs every day in a small town in Illinois. To live a simpler life can be a happier one.
Over the course of these past few weeks, I had to really evaluate why I was so drawn to technology or immersing myself in social media. Yes, it’s entertaining and a great way to past time, but it’s also an escape. Technology can be a great thing until you use it as a crutch to avoid other problems that may be in your orbit. It’s addictive to watch TikTok or mindlessly scroll through Instagram because you’re not thinking about your job, relationships, or worries. Everything is okay for those 60 seconds of someone dressing like celebrities or making jokes about their own lives. I often find comfort in dissociation which makes it much more difficult to face these issues.
For months I pushed against downloading TikTok because I thought I would get addicted really easily and wanted to focus on school, college applications, and my job. Then when things were getting incredibly stressful 2 months ago, I downloaded it to enable my escapism. Then all the lore around TikTok came true: I was hooked. I stayed up for HOURS watching so much content my brain could explode, but I loved it. These mechanisms of escapism can be healthy to an extent. It’s worrying when it interrupts your daily routines or controls your schedule. I had to evaluate how long I was spending staring at a screen and whether or not that was fulfilling for me.
When I realized I was using these mechanisms to avoid bigger issues, I quickly tried to limit my time watching mindless videos. Instead of reaching for my phone to entertain myself, I reached for a book (look for recommendations in the Fulfillment tab!). I noticed I started sleeping much better when I spent time away from a screen; I had more energy to workout or do something I love like baking. I felt a surge of motivation to better myself when I put the phone down.
My parents always blame everything on phones (i.e. “You’re not feeling well? It’s probably because of that phone!” “You didn’t sleep well? You really have been glued to that phone an awful lot…”) Turns out, they were right…sorry mom and dad. When I took more time to read and reflect deeply, not just scroll through coffee tutorials or “Put a finger down” challenges, I found I felt better, slept better, and had much more energy.
Upon doing some more research, I found that according to the Sleep Foundation, looking at phones excessively, especially before bed, “delays your body’s internal clock (a.k.a., your circadian rhythm), suppresses the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, and makes it more difficult to fall asleep.”
So maybe consider flipping through a book between Zoom calls, or take notes with pen and paper, or step away from the TV an hour or two before bed. It’s important to take care of yourself, especially now. We all need entertainment to dissociate a little bit. It’s healthy to step away from the news of the day and just relax. It might help us to relax even more if we unplug, live simply, and detach every once and awhile.
