The Real Apocalypse of Humans-OSMD or Obsessive Social Media Disorder

Check out this video: I Forgot My Phone above 

You can sum up the answer to that in 5 words. Obsessive attachment to social media.  All these networks like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and even Blogger are great places to connect and to express yourself. But there’s a limit to everything.  You have a bad case of OSMD when you’re in your bedroom and you turn around to your side-table to grab your phone, but it’s not there. You realize you left it downstairs and initially decide I’m not going to get it. But after a while of tossing and turning with no solace of sleep you accept defeat and trudge down the stairs to get the phone. You and I both know how that story ends. Sleepless nights. No focus in the morning. You crash as soon as you come home and you repeat the process again without really learning anything.

 A lot of you might get mad, but the truth is social media has become an addiction. To teenagers most definitely, but also to the older generation. We are so attached to our products that they have become our‘kids’.  Simple questions like what’d you do this weekend or eat last night, also how was the dance, and oh did your swim team win have become forbidden territory. The person you’re talking to would probably give you a weird look and answer with, “You didn’t see my pics on Instagram or tweets or status updates?” If you shake your head then I truly admire you to not be sucked into my whirlpool side. I’ll give you a hint: starts with an o ends with an e and I’ve used the word already.

Question is once you start how do you stop? For starters don’t sleep with your phone. I’ve started putting my phone in a basket with all my books to read so I have get up and dig through to find it in the morning. That way I wake up, but at the same time I’m not tempted to grab it. I used to charge my laptop in my room, but somehow I would end up watching an episode of Modern Family or a movie. So now I charge it in my study room. 

Seven tips to show social media who’s boss:

1. Set a tab limit
2. Delete your bookmarks for those websites
3. Set your phone on silent when working(Turn off volume for laptop)
4. Log out every time you go on Facebook, Twitter, etc…
5. Keep social media between close circles(You don’t need a 1000 friends on Facebook to prove that your popular)-this will save you a lot of time when scrolling through newsfeed
6. Always finish your work and then go on Facebook, etc…
7. Or If you really need a break between studying for two different tests or a major project then go talk to someone or listen to music that’s not online*

 *Really it’s only YouTube because I personally end up starting with music and ending up with funny videos. So no online music got it?

I hope these tips help all of you currently struggling through OSMD.