The inevitable

10:30, 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 1:15. Just like that, I have doom scrolled through the entire night. 

In today’s society, technology is everywhere. It surrounds us, and we rely on it. It’s in every aspect of our lives and has become something inescapable. It almost feels inevitable.

I’m no exception to this addiction. My phone is the first thing I look at when I wake up and the last thing I look at before I go to sleep. I tell myself I’ll only scroll for a couple of minutes, but those minutes turn to hours. After finishing a set at the gym, I grab my phone. I get to my baseball bag after practice, and I grab my phone. When I finish a math problem or write a few sentences of homework, I grab my phone. This almost drug-like effect is the root of my problem. 

I can’t get away from it. 

What started as a way to connect with people and make various tasks more convenient has taken over lives and replaced some of life’s natural joys with screens. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. An article from the University of the People reads: “Technology has increased the rate of technological addiction, which is characterized as the uncontrollable urge to constantly and consistently use technological devices or the programs, apps, and platforms that come with them.”

Technology has taken over and interrupted my own and others’ everyday lives. I’m not saying that all technology is bad. It adds a level of value that can’t be compared. But the extent to which it has been integrated into our everyday lives is a problem. 

Countless times, I procrastinated on an assignment or task and wasted that time scrolling, playing video games, or getting too involved in shows. Going back to mid-way through my Fifth Form year, it was time for the infamous midterm paper. This was a daunting 10-12 page paper on a self-proposed topic of any historical event, worth an incredible percentage of the semester grade. Before this paper, I had not written an assignment longer than six pages, so I knew I was in for it. We had roughly a month to write this paper, but I took my grand old time getting started the day before it was due. Thankfully, it was due on a Monday, so I had the whole day Sunday to do it. 

You may be wondering whether I used this to my advantage, broke writing into parts of the day, and lightened the load. 

I did not.

I spent the beginning of the day on my phone. Saying to myself, “I have plenty of time to do this, I’ll just chill for a bit.” 

That little bit turned into 6 p.m. as I moseyed through my day as usual, with not a word in the Google doc, doing anything but what I needed to. 

Once I looked up at the top-right corner of my phone to see 6:03, I knew I needed to stop and focus. And finally, I did. I was hard at work for about two hours, making solid progress. I decided to take a break. A tiny mental rest to eat, relax, and recharge would do me good. The plan was to take 30 minutes, then get back to work around 8:30. This did not happen.

Those 30 minutes went from, “Well, like it’s still pretty early. I could start up again at 9, it will be alright.” 

I finished what was an unpolished piece of work that I didn’t have time to revise or review. I fell into the trap that I couldn’t seem to escape—the inevitable. 

Fast forward to 10 o’clock, and I still hadn’t gotten back to work. I put on an episode of Blue Mountain State. “Just one episode.” One episode turned into two, and the snowball effect began. 

I finished that second one and said, “Enough is enough.” For all of five minutes. Notifications from Snapchat, Instagram, and ESPN updates kept blowing up my phone. I couldn’t resist this urge to check. And what did that lead me to do? Go over to TikTok and get roped into my “For You Page.” It was 11:15.  

It was late, and I was tired and unmotivated. But with much willpower and my phone dying, which was the only way that I could stop myself from procrastinating this paper any longer, I locked back in. 

I worked for two more hours and finished the paper. I finished what was an unpolished piece of work that I didn’t have time to revise or review. I fell into the trap that I couldn’t seem to escape—the inevitable. 

I always feel the urge to watch one more video, scroll one more time, check one more post. This habit doesn’t just affect me. This struggle has impacted numerous people. The hours I have spent consuming this brain-rotting information have taken a toll on my daily life and routine. Technology is woven into almost every aspect of our lives. School, work, home life, it’s everywhere. 

Disconnecting from this false reality can be beneficial. I have personally taken steps in the right direction by limiting my screentime. That’s what I want you to do. 

Take a step in the right direction. Make a change. It can be small. If you scroll before bed, force yourself not to. If it’s the first thing you look at when you wake up, don’t allow it. 

Do something.