Prompt: What feels fragile but worth protecting right now?
I’ve been very aware of my phone and social media usage lately. It’s too much.
When I’m putting Emi to bed, while she’s sleeping in my arms, I’m scrolling through my TikTok feed. If I pick up my phone to check the weather, I’ll lose another ten minutes to Instagram. I check my email at least four hundred times a day but will go days before responding to any email.
Oddly enough, my feeds are full of videos about how dangerous screen time can be.
My sense of peace and resoluteness feels fragile right now. Putting my phone away or not checking social media fills me with a sense of FOMO that’s hard to shake. It’s become an affliction deeper than reason.
Therein lies another problem – the strength of my mind. My ability to self-motivate and remain focussed on a task has always been straggling behind my interest in anything new. At times, it does feel as though the hamster has fallen asleep but the wheel continues to turn.
Until I slow down enough, reading a book won’t be as satisfying as scrolling endlessly. Eventually, however, it will be more rewarding.
Until I try it, I don’t know what sacrifices I’ll have to make to find more enjoyment and pleasure in the tangible experiences that animate my life, instead of those that come to me on a six-inch screen.
Find more writing prompts at Letters’ Lounge.
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