We have become so accustomed to scrolling that sitting still feels uncomfortable. 

We have become so comfortable watching reels that important tasks now seem like a burden.

We have taken so much solace in social media that we now treat it as though it is worth all our time.

Are they really worth it?

TikTok…

Instagram…

Facebook…

Threads…

Twitter…

Have you noticed that when you have important things to do on these platforms, you rarely spend as much time as you do when scrolling unnecessarily?

But when it comes to watching random videos, gossip, and the like, you become so invested that other things barely matter.

And when it finally dawns on you how much time you have wasted, you become alarmed. 

Yet, you don't leave immediately. 

You keep dragging your attention away, telling yourself, “Just one more video.”

And before you know it, another hour is gone.

Meanwhile, that book remains unopened, that task remains incomplete, and that idea you've been meaning to work on is still waiting.

The problem is not always that we lack time. Sometimes, we give too much of it to things that leave us with very little in return.

How many hours have we spent consuming other people's creativity while neglecting our own?

How many times have we said, “I don't have time,” when we haven't made time?

Of course, social media isn't entirely bad. 

We learn, connect, laugh, and discover new things there.

The problem begins when entertainment takes priority over the things that matter.

We need to learn how to use social media without allowing it to use us.

We need to make time for reading, writing, learning, and thinking.

Life is happening beyond our screens, and there are parts of ourselves we may never discover if we spend all our free time watching other people live.

So, the next time you pick up your phone for a quick scroll, ask yourself...

Am I choosing to spend my time here, or have I simply developed the habit of being here?

We cannot keep saying we want to grow while repeatedly giving our time to things that distract us from that growth.