All of us in this day in age are present across at least three social media platforms. These platforms can vary from obvious platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram but also include other platforms such as LinkedIn, Pinterest and Snapchat. Much like other things in our world, these various platforms all carry different meanings. Facebook is the site where we post our big updates on life or talk to our relatives in a more accessible way. Instagram within the past couple of years has become one of the front-runners in the social media world. Instagram also comes high or unrealistic expectations of reality. So, could you imagine or be able to go off the grid when it comes to social media? Many of us would like to believe we could, but in reality, a majority of us couldn’t. 

Once you break yourself off, you most likely feel disconnected from your peers, friends, and some family members. However, the real question is, would you want to? Personally, I wouldn’t want to. I would like to think I could, but in reality, social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat often remind me to take pictures or videos to remember moments and capture memories. 

One good thing that can come from deleting at least one account from your phone is the elimination of outside influence in your life. Twitter is the biggest culprit of this. Most people go on for comic relief, current event updates, and various other things. Not always checking into what other people have to say allows you to become more in touch with your opinions. That’s not to say you should just become oblivious to everything going on around you, but most of the stuff online isn’t worth the time. 

According to entrepreneur.com, “the average millennial spends 18 hours a day consuming media – Often multiple forms at once.”That statistic suggests that for most of the time that you’re awake you’re being influenced by other people. When is there time to gather and process your own thoughts and ideas? “The average millennial checks his or her smartphone 43 times and spends 5.4 hours on social media per day. They may still be watching sports and movies – but that only makes up 14 percent of media viewing.” This is not to say that this generation is the only one that has been affected by this sort of influence. 

Not too long ago teenagers and adults spent a good amount of time during their day reading newspapers or listening to the radio.  Millennials today are capable of spending this much time online because technology now allows immediate access, multitasking, and a convince of viewing factor as well. 

Logically, in the end nobody could just remove themselves from all forms of media influence. It’s in everything; sports, television, the internet, YouTube, Netflix, and more. How you handle it could influence the effects that social media and media alone can have on your life.