Everyone at Pella High has had to engage in technology in some way or another. For some people it is strictly for school.  Some have technology at home, some have social media, and some go as far as being social media influencers. I used to be fairly active on social media until I realized I was happier without it. 

Over the fall, I lost my phone at a wedding. My only fear with losing my phone was the expense of getting a new one and the possibility of losing touch or missing out on things with my friends. However, I learned quite quickly, even without a phone, I still saw my friends and others just as much as before when I had a phone. We would talk in person, at school to make plans for lunch or that night, and everything worked out fine. I would even sometimes zoom call the important people in my life, off my laptop when I was at home.

 My other worry was not being able to listen to music while I drove. It turned out, the radio worked just as well for me. I didn’t have to make a decision on what music I was going to listen to; I just let the radio do it’s thing. I started to tell myself that whatever song came on, that was the song I was meant to hear that morning. It actually gave me a lot of peace. 

Not looking at social media everyday also gave me a massive amount of peace. I started to focus more on my life and the things I needed to get done. I wasn’t looking at other people’s lives and comparing myself to them. I wasn’t worried if they were prettier, if they had more fun, if they had more friends, if their lives were going better. I was only focused on how I could make my life better. I thought to myself, “Why am I so productive all of a sudden?” I figured out it was because I wasn’t on social media. I think social media can be such a trap for people. I don’t think people understand how much social media can bring you down or how much it affects our everyday lives.

After about a month of not having a phone, I realized it was necessary to get one so work and my parents could contact me. But after that experience, I have learned it is better for me to stay off my phone as much as possible. Now, the only social media apps I have are Snapchat and Instagram. I only get on Instagram if I know one of my friends posted something or if I want to post something.  I’ve only posted one thing after getting another phone. I know that I am much happier without constantly being on my phone. So my advice to everyone is to simply, be aware of how much social media or just being on your phone takes time from your day. Focus on you and not other people you see on your screens.