Over the last two decades, it’s become apparent that social media has taken over the world. Facebook, YouTube, and MySpace started in 2003 (the year I started at Slippery Rock!). A few years later, enter Twitter (now X) which began after I finished college. As we begin a new decade, we are introduced to Instagram. The way we look for people and information is much different now than it was when I was growing up.
My first time on the internet was in early 1997 when we launched America Online on our Packard Bell. We had the coolest way to log in and that was through a Wishbone CD-ROM game. Eventually we moved on from that but what a great story to tell. You didn’t have social media sites on AOL, but you did have chat rooms and messenger if you wanted to talk to your friends without the use of a phone. If you had dial-up, good luck trying to make a call if you needed to or getting your kids to log off.
A lot of my time at HGA and Slippery Rock was spent on AOL Instant Messenger and the other various messenger sites on MSN and Yahoo. I was limited in high school but made up for it in college when I got my own computer. That’s either a good or bad thing. I didn’t find Facebook until late in my academic career when the social network was limited to college students only. Oh how it has evolved.
Mobile phones have changed with the times too. My first real cel phone was a Nokia phone from T-Mobile. I got it from a representative at the student union at Slippery Rock one afternoon in the winter of 2004. My phone has changed looks over the years. The keyboard one I had in 2010 was really cool. I got my first iPhone in 2013.
We’re always excited when we get our first phone or when we upgrade. But when the novelty wears off, it wears off.
With how much social media and mobile phones have evolved, we have information at the click of a finger. But is too much of a good thing really a good thing?
Now I’m not knocking social media, influencers, or the like. If you make your living on YouTube or “Insta”, then all the power to you. I want to know all your secrets for having a successful business and how you handle the algorithm when either it goes your way or it doesn’t. While it’s a fun hobby, like too much TV it can be harmful to our physical and mental health. Therefore, I’m looking for alternatives when it gets too crazy.
There are many ways to curtail your social media use and maintain your mental health when it gets out of hand. Here are a few of them.
I like to read books that help take me to a different place other than the present. Getting lost in one of the classics is always fun. In the past, I’ve read history-related books like Hamilton (before I knew it had become a popular musical). My dad had a book from an acclaimed local historian about The 1889 Johnstown Flood. I’ve found those books that help me understand great authors like Shakespeare. As I get ready to finish Harry Potter this summer, I’ll move on to something just as cool.
This requires the use of your phone or computer, but check out some educational or fun podcasts. I’m listening to rewatch podcasts and eventually want to find a food or local podcast so I’m balancing my listening. I’ve thought about starting my own podcast, eventually.
Go outside and enjoy life when the weather is nice. One of my hobbies used to be photography and I wouldn’t mind getting back into it again. When it gets hot next week, I’ll definitely make time to swim. The possibilities are endless.
Finally, go to a museum. I mentioned the book on Johnstown Flood. Take an afternoon and spend it at the Johnstown Flood museum. Now you also visit the Heritage and Discovery Center in the West End of town. It’s a great way to learn of the history of this melting pot and that’s it more than just a city that had more than one catastrophic flood. If you’re feeling lucky, check out the Flood memorial in South Fork.
Stylish 🍒 