Taking a break again from all the vanity and everything that is associated with social media. And though these programs are not necessarily bad, when taken too much, it can destroy. As we all know, too much of everything can be dangerous to one’s health.
But when exactly is too much?
We are in a digital world. Most, if not all of us, have mobile phones. Most, if not all of us, have social media accounts. And most, if not all of us, are consumers. I was not much of an internet savvy and the first encounter I had with the internet was mostly academical. I grew up in an orphanage so I was not exposed to it until my teenage years. There were rules and regulations to follow. We only ever use the computer for studies and sometimes, they also allow us to play computer games but only at a limited amount of time. Mind you, we might have computers back then but we have no internet. You might ask, how did we ever did our assignments that needed answers that only the internet can almost always provide today? We’ll, we had Microsoft Encarta and Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (the hardbound type). And when I had my first experience with Google, it was like having to forcedly eat a bland chicken — colorless and boring. Microsoft Encarta was way more colorful and fun with science games and trivia. I wish they never stopped producing it.
My first ever social media account was Friendster. It was like Facebook but much more light, fun, creative and colorful. Then came the age of Facebook, and Friendster, much like Microsoft Encarta, was no more. Then I discovered Twitter (currently X). I like that you can only write a limited number of words on Twitter. The reason I created a Twitter account was so that I could be in the know about what’s happening around the world. I mostly followed news media accounts. The firsts are always the best. And my firsts with Facebook and Twitter were actually a lot of fun until it wasn’t. I deleted my Twitter account because it was not helping with my mental health. That instead of writing my thoughts down on a journal, I was ranting on Twitter which was not healthy for me. I was already on Instagram (and currently am) when I decided to delete my original Facebook account. I created a new one but didn’t post that much photos anymore. I have made it private and deactivated it only to use Messenger. If not for Messenger, I wouldn’t have had to come back to Facebook.
Now, speaking of consuming too much data on social media, I have come to the decision of deleting the Instagram app on my phone because it’s taking a toll, once again, on my mental health. Logging it out or deactivating it is not helping because I can always log in and scroll through my feed all day. What I consume are not bad. They’re videos of cats, or funny memes, or reels with Godly quotes and quotes about how to be contented being single, or cooking and travel videos, or makeup tutorials, or visiting the account of my favorite podcaster to see their life updates. It’s the act of scrolling. It’s like an addiction. Once, I start scrolling, I can’t seem to stop and little did I know it’s taken so much of my time just scrolling through my phone. And then, anxious thoughts begin to consume me.
When exactly is too much? This is too much. I need to take a step back, breathe and enjoy what’s in front of me.
I had been contemplating about whether or not I should delete my Instagram account just like I did with Twitter. But for now, I will be indefinitely unavailable on social media until further notice.
Ciao!
Prose and Poems 