KARACHI:
Nowadays, most people have a smartphone with them, which they are constantly using to other play games, send text messages, or use social media applications. More often than not, people are so absorbed in their phones that they are entirely unconscious of their surroundings. Most people now prefer using their phones during their free time. Their leisurely activities involve the use of different social media applications. People may have a lot of friends online, but they seldom interact with people in real life. People would rather video-call their relatives or friends instead of meeting them in person. Many people commonly use social media for activism or to raise awareness about issues, but do not participate in actual campaigns. This can be called slacktivism as people want to reduce their real-life interactions.
As of 2022, the average amount of time spent on social media worldwide was two hours and 27 minutes per day. This was the highest ever time recorded, and it is only expected to increase. Spending lots of time using social media detaches us from the real world. Social media provides people with instant gratification and affirmation in the form of likes, followers, comments, etc. But also provokes a sense of insecurity among people as we are constantly seeing people from around the world and often compare our lives with different individuals. This can cause stress, anxiety, and depression. People also struggle with forming bonds and interacting with people in social settings. Everyone should be more mindful of their use of their phones and social media and try to cut down their usage by setting application limits or adopting hobbies that do not involve the use of phones. Otherwise, it will be detrimental to our mental and physical health.
Mueeza Khurram
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2023.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
