As Miss England and a sponsored surfer, I am a lover of all things natural. I'm starting to feel overloaded by the world's desire to live through social media. I misplaced my phone last week, and honestly it was great, it really got me thinking.
Alright guys, let’s have a proper chat here. I don’t mean a “tap-tap, LOL” over WhatsApp or a quick scroll through someone’s life on Insta. I’m talking about the kind of chat that involves eye contact, vocal cords, and maybe even a laugh that doesn’t involve an emoji. Wild concept, isn’t it?
Look around. We’re glued to these little screens like they’re some life-support machine, only we’re not exactly living, are we? It’s like we’ve all taken up part-time gigs as zombies, shuffling around, eyes fixated, thumbs dancing, waiting for the next digital hit. And don’t get me wrong—I’m no tech-hating hermit who lives off-grid in a cabin somewhere. I’ve got social media, and I love a cheeky scroll through my feed. But somewhere between scrolling and actually living, we’ve lost the plot.
Let’s face it, we’ve all become digital addicts. It’s a pandemic of notifications, hashtags, and endless reels that make us forget we have actual friends we could see in person! When did we start thinking, “Oh, I’ll just catch up with a friend” via stories instead of, you know, actually meeting for a coffee or a beer? We’ve turned connecting with people into a spectator sport, and it’s sadder than that person who posts 57 selfies in one day.
But here’s a mad suggestion: How about putting the phone down and reconnecting with the world around us? And I’m not talking about “reconnecting” by liking a photo of the beach—I mean actually going outside and seeing the waves crash, feeling the wind, and smelling the sea salt. Playing a game of golf with your mates, going for that wild adventure, but here’s the catch, not posting it on social media for gratification. Thats why I love surfing, if forces you to be present, to be active, to be in nature, all without a phone. Now that’s a proper therapy session.
If we’re honest, half of what we’re glued to online isn’t even the good stuff. Do we really need another pic of someone’s overpriced brunch or a “relatable” meme we’ll forget in five seconds? Imagine all the real-life laughs, the belly-aching laughs, the memories we’re missing out on because we’re too busy looking for “LOLs” online.
The best memories don’t come with a hashtag or a filter, trust me. Some of my best moments aren’t even on camera. It’s the random conversations with strangers on the beach, the spontaneous dives into the freezing sea, and the days when I’ve laughed until my sides hurt. None of that made it to the ‘Gram, but it’s all locked in my mind forever.
So, here’s a challenge for all of us digital zombies: Next time you’re out with mates, leave the phone in your bag. Let’s go back to the days when people actually looked up and noticed things—like that glorious sunset or the fact that your mate’s got a shocker of a new haircut. Trust me, you’ll remember those moments a lot more than who just posted what.
Go out, have a laugh, make some memories. Because, at the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, no one’s going to remember how many followers you had or how funny your stories were. They’ll remember the good times you shared. So put the phone down and live a little!
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