Reasons I wish I didn't have social media as a teen

If you’ve been staying up to date with the news (I know I've been lacking), you might have heard that the Australian government is introducing new legislation aimed at protecting young adults online…banning those under 16 from social media. I'm talking Instagram, Snapchat and even TikTok.

This may come as a shock but, honestly, the reports made me think about what growing up would've been like without social media. Spending an embarrassing amount of time making the text on my story the perfect size and the agony of waiting for my friends to react to my impeccable reels, I wouldn’t miss it at all.
 

I would have more time to invest in the things I love

They say time waits for no one, and whoever they are, are right. As I've begun my early 20s, I've come to realise how jam-packed life actually gets. My go-to answer to 'how have you been?' has become 'really busy,' and it's not something I'm proud of. Gone are the days of complaining about being bored. Now, I'm trying to split my time between uni, work, fitness, being social, eating well, getting some sleep every now and then…the list is endless.

Somehow in this madness, I still manage to waste so much of my precious time scrolling through my feed (I cringe whenever I get that screen time notification at the start of every week). The fatigue of not having a moment to yourself is REAL, especially in a world where we are constantly connected. If I realised this when I was younger, I would have made the most of every moment away from social media. Spending more time curled up on the couch with a book, experimenting with a new recipe or even just going on a stroll without any destination in mind, how glorious.

It would force my friends and I to hang out IRL

Now, I've got to say social media has its perks. How cool is it that I can stay up to date with my friends living on the other side of the world in the click of a few buttons. We are so lucky to live in a world with instant connection to our loved ones, let alone the benefits it affords us in terms of career networking. But on the flipside, although I chat to my besties all the time, it is not the same as spending quality time with each other. Unfortunately, social media has become a replacement for human connection.

In our early teen years it is so important to develop friendships. These relationships shape our core memories, our values and help us grow in difficult times. The wellbeing benefits are massive too! So without social media I literally would have to see them in person to catch up with the latest drama, crazy right. Some of the best times in my teens were spent hanging with my friends, not spamming the group chat.
 

There wouldn’t be as much pressure to live a 'curated life'

Perfect hair, perfect skin, going on fancy holidays, the pressure to live life like a highlight reel is one of the biggest issues stemming from social media. Don’t get me started on the body image ideals and cyber bullying issues rife on the platforms. Having to deal with all this in a period of life when so much change is already happening just adds to the difficulties.

Without social media, focusing on being present and living in the moment would be so much easier. Taking photos would revert back to being for capturing the memory, instead of worrying about the many eyes judging your every move.

Maybe grandma was right when she went on one of her many 'back in my day' tangents. Social media has become an inevitable part of the modern world. But as a kid, growing up for a few more years without it may not be the worst thing in the world.