This week I decided to use my smartphone smarter.
I gave up social media for one week (on my phone and computer), namely the trifecta of distraction — Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
In lieu of wasting time on these apps, I vowed to use my new freed up mobile time using apps that teach me useful things — such as iBooks, Duolingo, the Washington Post and maybe even a little iTunes U.
I sent an obligatory text to my parents, my sister and a couple of other close friends to let them know what I was up to so they wouldn’t think I had fallen off the face of the earth.
My sister actually liked the idea so much that she decided to boycott her social media sources for a week, too.
Our week-long journey had both ups and downs.
At first, I noticed that I got out of bed a little faster than usual since I didn’t check four different news feeds before my feet hit the ground. I was feeling confident — and I started to pity those around me who were glued to their phones. I happily lived my life without feeling like I had to share every moment of it.
On day two, I was invited to a dinner and met a few of my friends’ coworkers. A round of sharing Instagram usernames followed, and I felt compelled to explain why I wouldn’t be able to reciprocate a “follow” until next week. I also missed the photos that — I assumed — they posted from dinner that night. I hoped they were good photos too, since immediate untagging was not an option.
By mid-week, I noticed that my fingers kept idly wandering to the place on my phone where the apps used to be.
Also, due to work obligations, I had to miss a movie premiere that I had been looking forward to for several months. I immediately felt the need to publish my feelings, but I remembered that wasn’t an option. If you’re sad about something and no one is around to read about it, are you still sad?
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Alaina O'Neal 