I managed to avoid growing up on social media and I’m glad I did

The newer generations have grown up with social media all their lives and I was on the edge of being a “digital native”. Even though I use social media now, I’m glad I was able to avoid it in the early years. Here’s why.

1 I enjoyed great memories with my friends outside

I played soccer with my brother almost every day after school, and when we moved to another area, we did the same with friends at our local park. We played for hours every day during the long summer nights and even in the winter we played outside when it was dark.

Since I live in a different country than where I grew up, I understand the importance of keeping in touch with friends and family from a distance virtually. However, humans are social beings and meeting in real life is also vital. If social media were as widespread as it is today, I don’t think I would have nearly as many positive childhood memories.

Ironically, getting older wasn’t what kept us from going out more. Instead, it was technology; we all got game consoles and preferred to play FIFA instead. With younger siblings and cousins, I see how easy it is to talk digitally but have no intention of meeting in real life.

2 I wasn’t bombarded with constant information

I’m not going to sit here and say that the amount of information available these days is a completely bad thing. I’d also be a hypocrite because I’ve made a career out of writing informative content. However, being constantly bombarded with new information when you go on social media can be exhausting.

You’ll never run out of content to consume on social media. Even if you’ve caught up with every account you follow, you’ll get recommended new content to keep you in the app longer. It’s exhausting enough as an adult, but I can’t even imagine what it was like during my most formative years.

That’s why it’s so important to think carefully before you get started on social media. I wish that when I did eventually join, I only signed up for platforms that I actually thought would offer value.

3 I didn’t judge my friends based on their opinions (within reason)

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When I say “within reason” I don’t want to associate with people who are truly hateful. Then again, they wouldn’t be my friends.

However, one of my biggest pet peeves on social media these days is how people judge others for having different political views. I also think these apps make it very difficult to have a reasonable conversation, and unfortunately I believe this has carried over into real life.

Growing up, you often feel pressured to fit in. This is human nature; from an evolutionary point of view, expulsion from the tribe would have been life-threatening for our ancestors. Since everything has become so much more political compared to when I was young, I can imagine that it’s easy to judge people at school – and isolate them – based on their views on various topics.

I definitely didn’t agree with everything my friends said, but I never judged them for having different opinions. Sure, we were debating the best footballer – but it was hardly a friendship-threatening situation and we soon got on with our day. Because I was able to think critically, I also formed my own opinions without being influenced as strongly as I otherwise would have been.

Every time you go on social media, you are exposed to the whole world. You’re suddenly comparing your progress to someone on the other side of the world without any context.

I grew up in a pretty ‘average’ part of London. Even though I was overtaken by someone in my area, I had more connections. For example, someone was better at sports than me because he had already practiced for 10 years. Plus, you’ve seen the best of their lives and the other dark sides.

I honestly sympathize with the younger generations and the comparison; even though i’m fully grown i still fall into the trap. I’m thankful I didn’t experience these issues during my formative years when I was less confident because it would have been incredibly difficult.

5 With technology, it has become easier to set boundaries

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Don’t get me wrong… my mom kept telling me to turn off my Xbox because I was playing FIFA for too long. But compared to today, setting boundaries was much easier with technology. My phone was one of those old ones where you could do nothing but text, call and play Snake.

When I went out, I didn’t have constant access to every app. And even when I was at home, only one person could use the internet at a time. I didn’t think about what I was going to post on Instagram or Snapchat all the time.

Yes, I know technically you can just delete apps. But these apps are addictive enough for adults; do you really think a teenager will get rid of them?

6 I didn’t get involved in pointless internet beef with people I knew

I’ll be completely honest with you: I’ve gotten into a lot of fights on Twitter during my time on the platform. But even though I was childish, I was no longer a child in age at that time. I also didn’t argue with people I knew in real life that I knew would be pointless.

I can definitely see the appeal of saying things to someone behind a screen as a young person. It feels somewhat risk-free, and these disagreements almost never become a thing outside of the internet. So all you’re effectively doing is draining energy and destroying your mental health.

7 My childhood memories weren’t plastered on the internet for everyone to see

As a heavy social media user in my early twenties, I shared way too much online. But at this point I already had a certain level of awareness of what would be too far. When you’re a teenager, you’re often more carefree and much more likely to share everything you do.

Having a certain amount of privacy was nice because it made it more meaningful when we met up with friends. Additionally, it meant that anyone interested in joining us would only be able to in real life and not live vicariously through a screen.

Perhaps more importantly, I’m glad my parents didn’t post about me online. Protecting children when posting on social media is vital, but aside from the security risks, I wouldn’t want others to know my every detail.

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I know the “iPad kid” has become an online meme, but it really worries me how many young people seem to be completely addicted to their screens. And while I was definitely addicted to social media in my early twenties, I broke the habit easily because I know that life without social media exists.

I remember what it felt like to wake up and not check notifications. Plus, I know what it’s like to sit on a train and be happy just staring out the window or reading a book. Because I understand the negative effects of social media, it is also easy for me not to watch short videos.

When you’re young, I think it’s very important to just be bored sometimes. It will give your brain a rest and you can think more creatively. Not being on social media all the time can also help ensure that you don’t always feel the need for instant gratification.

9 I could concentrate better at school

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Since I didn’t have any social media apps on my phone, it was much easier for me to focus during class. Also, our phones would be confiscated if we took them out, which was another incentive not to. Plus, I was able to focus on homework with fewer distractions.

Because I was able to concentrate better, I felt like I was absorbing more information during the lessons. In comparison, I was much more distracted when I went to university and had constant access to Twitter and Facebook. Using blockers would be one way to be more productive during class, but not having access—like I did at school—was much more effective.

While I’ve benefited greatly from these apps as an adult, I’m glad they weren’t as prevalent when I was growing up. My mental health would have undoubtedly suffered and I would probably still be trying to set boundaries with technology today. The struggles of younger generations deserve compassion and we should work to help them develop healthy relationships with these apps.