Social Media is an elusive topic nowadays. Everyone is using it. Even your Grandma. Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, etc. almost everyone is living a virtual life. This has had a detrimental impact on our social lives because “social” media has made us less social. A majority of teens are constantly on social media, or at least use it, myself included. It has had an enormous effect on our social lives, “people who reported spending the most time on social media…had twice the odds of perceived social isolation.”  I don’t doubt this for a second. I grew up playing outside constantly, I can wholeheartedly say that I don’t have many memories of being inside. Social media has changed that. I would sit inside on my phone, scrolling and staring, scrolling then liking, and scrolling again, for hours. So where am I taking this? Casey Neistat, this April, posted a video with a title stating “MANIPULATED, TRICKED, BRAINWASHED.. moving past a social media addiction.” I suddenly felt a sense of relief come over me.

Here’s a quick disclaimer before I talk about Casey Neistat’s video: I love Casey Neistat. I have watched his vlogs since I was little and I distinctly remember sitting and just bingeing his videos. For those who don’t know, Casey Neistat isn’t your normal filmmaker. From electric skateboards to his extensive studio, Casey does it all. He even created and ran his own social media app, Beme, which was bought by CNN in 2017.

My excuse for overuse was: “I wanted to connect with the friends I left in Virginia.” I can personally attest to how hard it is to try and get out of it. You almost feel trapped. This is why Casey Neistat’s video is so important. Many adults offer a simple solution: just stop. The thing is, when you have an addiction to something it’s never, ever, that simple. In his video Casey, like many teenagers now, had an addiction. I have seen numerous solutions attempting to try and help, with none of them helping. Casey offered a simple solution: you can still use social media, but it’s all about limiting your time. So, he deleted all of his apps off of his phone, and only checks social media two or three times a day, on his computer. Earlier this year, after watching that, I decided to try this. Safe to say, it was the happiest few months of the year. 

So, maybe the next time you feel a bit isolated, sad, or even a bit empty, try limiting your time by making it harder to access social media. It’ll make you happier, it did for me at least, it might even make you appreciate social media more.