Can People Still Picture a World Where All Social Media Sites are Down?
Every person has different daily routines, but most people include social media. Social networking sites have dominated people’s lives, from waking up to preparing for a good night’s sleep. Since the early 2000s, almost everyone has been connecting and reconnecting with others online.
Various features have made social media platforms addicting. You get entertained by each post, interact with friends and even strangers, easily see the world, become educated, share interests, and more. Sometimes it’s the best way to kill time, because scrolling through your timelines can make you unaware of your surroundings. That’s why social media is somehow a form of escape for some, especially when they can show a different persona to their followers. However, spending so much time on each platform can ruin the quality of life. People tend to live in a world created online where they forget to interact with those around them. You have to unlearn the significance of always being online and posting everything that goes on with your life.
Out of curiosity, a Redditor with the username elevenminutesago posted a question on AskReddit. Social media has become a necessity for most people, but what if “You wake up tomorrow and find that ALL social media sites have been shut down worldwide. Internet, phone lines, and texting still work, but no social media. What do you do?” Will people be okay without uploading TikTok videos every day? Where would people upload a picture of their food before eating? The majority may have difficulty adjusting to a world without social media, but here are some things you can do, according to Redditors.
Mind Your Own Business
People will realize that social media has already given them so much power to stick their noses in other people’s businesses that it has become problematic. But for people who had a chance to live life before the golden era of social media, it’ll be a piece of cake for them. “Go about my business. I lived longer without social media than I’ve lived with it,” kalysti commented. Their generation will adjust faster and will be unfazed by the shutdown of social media platforms. They’ll simply continue their lives and do their best to live in the real world.
Read a Book
Since people are more immersed in what’s going on and who’s trending on Twitter or TikTok, books are overlooked. Reading is the most rewarding way to escape reality and spend leisure time. You can have quiet time alone without the noise of people commenting about different stuff left and right. “I have time now! I FINALLY HAVE TIME!” NativeMasshole replied to NaturalAd9517. Yes! Without endless scrolling on your timeline or FYP page, you get to finish the book you purchased a couple of years ago. Also, through books, you can choose what genre you want to enjoy today.
Show Pictures to Friends
Additional_Swan_6531 funnily wrote, “Guess I’ll have to bust out my Polaroid camera, take a pic of my meal, and drive it to all my friends’ houses to show them.” It may sound hilarious, but it’s actually a nice idea to interact with your loved ones in person and not just send messages to one another. Moreover, taking pictures without uploading them signifies that scrapbooks and photo albums will return to style. You can compile your memories without waiting for someone to like them or comment on how fantastic they are. Instead of collecting online validation, you could focus on compiling your memories.
Rejoice
More than two Redditors shared “Rejoice” as an answer, but in different contexts. Some say they’d be going on with life, and their productivity would increase. Others also mentioned how relieving it would be to know that one of the root causes of a toxic society is already unavailable. “Celebrate. Social media is cancer,” RudigherJones commented. To which CrossENT replied, “More like social media is cigarettes: They feel relaxing at the moment, they’re incredibly addictive, and they cause severe damage to you in the long run.”
Although many people celebrated the imaginary downfall of the social media era, it’s still normal to see comments from people who would be saddened by the downfall of social media. The platforms have pros and cons, so it’s best to use each in moderation. If your screen time indicates you’re online for hours, you might want to let go of your phone and live life in reality. Turn off your device or disconnect occasionally — there’s nothing wrong with not allowing your FOMO to get the best of you. Can you still imagine a world without Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok? If yes, write down what kind of world you see in the comment section.
