Back in 2000, internet began to take the world by storm. Like many other children my age, I was quite tech-savy and was the first in the family to learn all sort of tricks that computer can do; while my entire family were trying to figure out which button to press on the keyboard. Before I could get myself on the plane round the globe, I already master 'sight-seeing' on Google. I was also (admittedly) a social media addict.
I remember the very first social media that I used called ‘Friendster’ and then MySpace, Hi5 and subsequently the largest and long-term usage of Facebook. It feels so nostalgic to recall how life picked up from there. My parents were very concern about the fact that social media will ruin my childhood because it is so addictive. I can be on the computer for hours; forgetting to eat, do homework, shower or even sleep! Sometimes, it almost got me to the point of skipping school! Then to make the matter worst; there is also an increasing number of chat-rooms like ICQ, IM, Skype and then Viber, WhatsApp, WeChat and etc. More and more my life is fully involved with computer and 80% goes to social media.
Like most social media addicts around the globe, I found myself browsing posts after posts, pictures after pictures and text after text. It is generally done to keep myself ‘busy’ while waiting at the dentist room, avoid looking awkward being alone or plainly avoid being dragged into a conversation that I dislike conversing. In short to say: social media has taken most of my life away from physical activities. The parents’ fear came true there and then.
Fast forward 20 years later, social media isn’t just a mean of private connection with friends; but it has also become a central hub for global businesses. It is also where the unknowns found fame too. If it is not for social media, our world will develop hundred times slower than where we are today. While we are very excited with the benefits that social media brought into our life, there is still a continuous fear of how it is removing us from advancing with our physical activities/ lifestyle.
Most of us are very proficient in technology; but struggle in life away from devices. We can create various humour with virtual friends but feeling completely awkward/ tongue-tied when it comes to face-to-face talk. We generously donate money virtually; but outwardly, we walked passed a beggar clanging his cup under our nose without dropping a coin/ note to his plead. More and more we are becoming so self-enclosed to the machine, truly selfish with our time and hardly ever expose our experience to physical community.
I remember the days before internet took me over. I was learning how to cook many family dishes handed down from generations, making music on the instruments, serving family and friends with great hospitality skill, playing board games with family members, going to the park and screaming my heart out with excitement. We even had proper face-to-face conversation whereby the world doesn’t even know what we were saying because we don’t have social media to spread it around. We were a lot safer then. Criminal rate was much lower in my younger days. We were free to run everywhere by ourselves without fearing of kidnappers. Our private live weren’t exposed to the public and neither do people know we actually exist until we put ourselves up online.
That being said: my parents’ initially fear has accurately summed up what social media is doing to us today and generally to the world (as well). While devices are getting thinner and smarter by weeks, we human beings are getting fatter and *gulp!* stupider by the day.
To prove the statement right, I find myself facing numerous challenges in transiting back to pre-internet activities. Cooking will be a great starting point for this. I remember my grandmother used to cook just about anything without referring to recipe; but today we need a specific instruction on how to even boil an egg! So much of our creativity exposed online fly out of the window when it comes to reality. We even lost our common sense when it comes to changing a simple light bulb while we hugely bragged about our computer skill to the world.
I am afraid what we will become in the next two decades. Will we be worst than today? I dare not predict or say it; but I just know that at the end of it, I need to get back my life from social media.
It is no longer how many likes and comments I received on my post/ pictures/ text. It is about me finding comfort away from cyberworld. It is about telling myself, “it’s OK to be anonymous. It’s normal to feel the need to isolate from hyper-ness. It’s fine to revert back into pre-internet days and actually go out and connect with people physically close to you. It’s even better to switch off all your devices and start praying for hours, reading books and bibles and pick up some physical skills again. We need to keep ourselves active knowing that there is more to life than social media itself.”
For the past few weeks, I managed to get away from all my devices for few hours at a time. It feels good although I admit having difficulty adjusting to off-screen mode; but it’s getting there. Bible studying has become my go-to whenever I feel tempted to browse on internet. It’s a habit that need revision. There is bible verse memory work, prayer, worshipping and various other skills to strengthen. Life becomes more colourful each time I find myself working hard without needing to publicise all my doings to the world. Sure, it’s nice to share our life with others; but not to the extent of ‘selling’ it to social media anymore.
Today, I am proud to say that I can cook more variety of food than I would have ever imagined or showcase to the world. I read more in a day than I would in a month. I remember more bible verses than I would throughout my 15 years of Christianity life. I pray more than ever before; in fact it has become part of my breathing process. I count my blessing more than my grievance. All these are done at the expense of being away from the devices. I no longer bother about the likes and comments on social media anymore. It doesn’t reflect my life and it cannot lead me to my future. It is just there to re-assure my international friends and family that I am still alive; even though I guess more people doesn’t care about my existence any longer because I am so silent to point of vanishment.
But all in all, life still goes on… Except to try and stay away from social media approximately 90% of the time for breather space. After all, we only have one life to live so we might as well live it to fullest. As for me, I want to spend more time grooming myself in all directions – something that social media cannot help me at all. Of course, I will still pop into the internet for some guidance; but preventing it from taking over my life.
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