I often find myself lost in the calendar, swiping through pages and adding dates, I look up from the screen and suddenly realize I’m staring at April and May like they’re next week. When we think about the future, it’s so easy to get ahead of ourselves and become enthralled with what’s to come.
College decisions, housing deposits, applications, schedules and everything in between; getting caught up in these future plans takes us out of the moment we are in. When we take a “break” from the angst of finding and doing more, we find comfort in our screens. When devices are powered off, we are under the impression that this makes us more present, but just because we’re looking up doesn’t mean we fully are. We constantly alter ourselves to fit what seems to be appealing and desirable, oftentimes simply regurgitating whatever content we just consumed.
At what point are we relying too much on doomscrolling and not enough on each other? The comfort we find in human connection cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence or supplemented through direct messages. Our authenticity is limited as learners, partners, friends and family members when we compare ourselves to what we see on the screen.
This is not to say that technology has completely destroyed our relationships. When we widen our net, many are able to find like-minded people through the World Wide Web. Serving as an escape from trapping environments or isolating situations, the instant ability to reach out to others can be helpful at times. Still, we cannot jump to inauthentic media as a means of filling silent moments.
Ask yourself what you are seeking to gain from the screen, does being online truly serve your needs? As our feeds quickly fill with spring break photo dumps, roommate reach-outs and prom trends, we need to be conscientious of how the media we consume impacts our emotions and our choices. Even sitting back to enjoy a nice rom-com or an influencer “day in the life” video, unrealistic portrayals of lifestyles become what we subconsciously expect for the future.
If you find yourself swallowed in the UAHS Golden Bear News or absorbed in the Norwester Senior Destination Instagram page, remember to take a breath and remind yourself where you are. Press pause on your consumption and connect with those around you, learn to “just be” and don’t get too ahead of yourself.
