It's been roughly a week since the day
i decided to go minimalist. I started decluttering my house and at
the end of the second day of my minimalism challenge it dawned on me
that maybe i should expand this project to other aspects of my life
as well. So, in the spirit of less is more, i thought of other ways
that abundance is messing with my life. If you find objects
distracting, then think of what social media does to your life.
Sacrificing a significantly big amount of time being on Facebook
instead of spending it on a more productive and qualitive way, is
hurting our lives without even noticing it most of the times. It's
one thing using social media for business purposes and another for
killing our spare time.
I believe everybody has heard of the
following quote : "The first person you think of in the morning,
or the last person you think of at night, is either the cause of your
happiness or your pain." Now, let me say that this is so 90s! I
mean it's 2015, if you are between 15 to 45 years old, chances are
your first thought in the morning and your last at night is
Facebook. Unless, of course, other stuff is happening in your life
that are substantially more important than social media's addiction,
hence you are putting all of your energy in dealing with your issues.
But, if that is not the case, and you fall into the first category, i
want you to take a moment and picture this. Let's say Facebook (F for
short) is the girl or guy you are in a romantic relationship with. F
is fun, knows people, is a music fan etc. S/he can be really
addictive over time and has the ability to mess with your mind and
psyche. Sounds like a passionate love affair eh? Pretty much the same
thing, feelings-wise.
However, when you come to a point where
you feel like you need to take a break away from F, you realise few
things. S/he is more like a gossip chick who constantly compares your
life to other's and, at times, deceives you into thinking everyone
else is better off than you. You're often led to narcissistic
behavior, trying to show off in search for validation through F's
likes and comments. Not to mention your intruded privacy and F's
needy nature which many times destroys creative activities you could
be part of if you didn't spend your precious time exclusively on
her. Last but not least, F's alieanating you from the offline world,
a world that has so much beauty, if only you could take your eyes off
of F to notice that.
The key is simplicity. Do not fall into
toxic habits that are able to ruin your peace of mind. Excessiveness
is never the right choice. So, in that spirit, i resolved to minimizing my time online starting with one day per week till i come
to a point where i'm having a monthly "anti-social" week,
which is a week per month away from social media. Because, you know,
it's not just F who's demanding. There's also T (aka Twitter), I (aka
Instagram) and other millennial crushes. I challenge you to come join
me in this! Go out and do some fun stuff with your friends, family or
loved ones and leave your phone at home. If you want to take pictures
just take a camera with you. And for all those who claim they want
their phone with them for safety reasons, well, then one person of
your company should carry his phone with him, but make sure it is
turned off the whole time and you only use it when in need. Let's try
make the most of our "anti-social" day or week!
Distracted from
distraction
by distraction
T.S Eliot
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