On August 28, 2017, I deleted all social media.

   On my first day of TV 2, we had an intimate discussion about cell phones. We studied the graphs used in The Atlantic’s article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” and I, along with many classmates, were quick to disagree. Many students claimed that they used their phones for good and not evil. I piped up as well, claiming that I mainly use my phone to check news sites and do homework. Although this was a well intended comment, I quickly realized the truth behind it.

  Snapchat. The most popular app used among teenagers (Business Insider). With the addition of the chat feature, many students around Fossil Ridge High School use it as their main form of communication. Up until now, I used it as my main form of communication. My own mom even had a Snapchat to send photos and chat messages.

  How could Snapchat actually affect me though? Isn’t it good to be connected to people online? Not always. Everything needs to be used in moderation, and I quickly came to the realization that notifications took away my ability to keep it moderate. The fact that phones are so accessible made me even lonelier. Yes, I could contact my friend that lives all the way across the world, but when people who were just across the street didn’t message me back, my mind went rampant. I could be messaging my friends right now, so why aren’t they responding? I have the world in my pocket and yet, I didn’t feel any connection. That little blue arrow on Snapchat that signals “unread” haunted my subconscious.

  For many months this went on. I found myself obsessing over not getting replies. Even not getting a response for a mere 15 minutes felt like forever. It is proven that every single time you get a notification, dopamine is released. This is the same chemical that is released when you hug someone. Not getting it drove me crazy. It truly is an addiction, and an addiction that needed to end.

     Before I get into my personal rules, I thought I’d throw some disclaimers out there. The first is that I’m not out to force everyone to delete their social medias and preach about how it is ruining our generation. I am here to ask you to reevaluate how you use your social media and its effect on your happiness. The second is that turning off your social medias is not the end all be all to a life of perfection, although it can be a good start towards personal happiness. I encourage everyone to join in and create their own rules to take control of a successful life.

  So, here are the rules for this experiment.

  Rule #1-Delete all social media. For me, this means Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr.

  Rule #2-Delete all video streaming services. That means YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu. This rule can be broken in the case of watching with friends, family, or for homework. Apps may not be redownloaded to phone, but must be accessed via a different device.

  Rule #3-Only basic internet access. The only times the internet can be used is for information, homework, and to access the Etched in Stone website.

  Rule #4-No casual text conversations.. Only text in case of emergency, family, or to set up real life conversation.
  From now on, I will force myself to experience the world as it is. I will no longer have to look at other people’s life experiments, but create my own. This experiment isn’t perfect, but it’s a start. I have no idea how long I’ll be on this journey, but you can bet on the fact that I am very enthusiastic and optimistic about the outcome. I’m happy to say goodbye to social media, and hello to a fresh start.