(Warning:
I am aware that the following post may fall into the cliche category, that I may be screaming and shaking my fist at a thing that will never go away and only become more present in this world.  But I still have thoughts, which is exactly what this platform is for.)


Social media is killing romance.

The internet in general, is.

Even more so than romance, though, I think it's killing human sociality.

In a world where there are screens everywhere you look, where the information of the world and humanity is at your fingertips, nothing feels thrilling anymore.
Want to know how many miles it is from Spain to Russia?
Google it.
Want to know what the longest orgasm of all time was?
Google it.
Want to see what's going on in the world?
You can pretty much pull into a gas station and watch a screen tell you about news events while filling up your gas tank.

Information is everywhere.
And there's an overload of it.

But even more so, why go out and meet someone what we've now deemed as the "old fashioned" way, when all you can do is download four or five apps on your phone and you have hundreds - if not thousands - of choices for who you want to bang next.
And forget getting to know someone through spending time with them and asking questions and discovering who they really are.  All you have to do is type in the right words, spend less than a half-hour browsing the internet, and you know where they're from, how many siblings they have, how old they are, all their past residence locations, their fashion style, their likes and dislikes, and everything else they choose to portray to the online world (regardless if that's the real them or not).

Where's the thrill of wondering what a person's body looks like under all that clothing they wear when you see them, when you can pretty much find a picture of them at the beach during the summer time, and you no longer need to imagine?

Why be present and enjoy that intimate moment with your significant other, when you can take a picture or video and post it online for all to see?

I hate that the internet, that our phones and computers and tablets, are such amazing tools capable of incredible things, but that they literally suck the life out of their users.

Not only is staring at a screen for hours and hours day after day terrible for your eyesight (much less posture), but it takes away from actually living.

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that this generation that is growing up with phones in their hands, will reach the ends of their lives, look back, and realise how much they've wasted.

Hell, even I'm at that point, and the internet was still a baby back when I was in school.

I hate that I go out with people, with my boyfriend, and a phone is always there.  Always out.  Whether it's to take pictures or look something up or even to fill in the blank, boring pockets of time by mindless scrolling through social media, a phone is still OUT.  Maybe not even in use, but in hand, ready for the quick draw should it be needed or not.

I have tried to be conscious, to be aware, of my use of my phone when out with friends.  To try to give them the attention they deserve, by not having my phone in sight, or having it loud enough to be heard with a new text, or answering a phone call right away.

Imagine me saying this really slowly:
It is not the end of the world if you don't immediately respond to every message on every social platform that you get.  It is not the end of the world if you don't respond to a text right away or ignore a phone call.  It is not the end of the world if someone doesn't respond to you immediately.

Try it.  You may find out that you aren't dead at the end of that very long moment.  In fact, you may even get a sense of relief from not being available 24/7 for people who don't even matter that much to you.

Unplug. 
Live your goddamn life. 
Be present and thankful and exchange conversation with the people directly in front of you.  The people who make it an effort to be physically present in your life. 
Those people who are far away may or may not have a choice in the matter, but they can wait.  Everyone can exercise a little patience when they don't get a response right away.  They can take that time waiting for a response to go out and live their own life, too.

Like I said.
It's not the end of the world if you don't respond/get an immediate response.

Fucking live.