I have one request of all my readers. Please unplug your headphones, stop your actions and limit your social interactions while consuming this piece. You will thank yourself later. 

When was the last time you completed a task and felt present doing so? Not in a physical sense — of course, you were there when you completed it — but in a mental sense. Often, people tend to distract themselves when they are doing tasks. Whether it is the latest episode of Joe Rogan or a sweet new Weezer album, we are always consuming media. When you consume media while going about your daily life, you often do not feel present in the world in which you are living. 

When you are completing tasks or simply going about your daily life while consuming media, you are not fully experiencing your life to its fullest potential. If you are at your cousin’s fourth birthday party, but you are on your phone texting your friends the whole time, were you truly there, or were you engulfed in the world of your device?

Something I have noticed since I came to Shippensburg University in 2021 is how unplugged most SU students are from their surroundings. Whenever students walk to class, they usually consume at least one piece of media. Whether they have their headphones on or are texting their friends, they are not mentally present in their surroundings.

Why should you care about this though? You enjoy consuming media, so what is the issue here?

Constant media overconsumption is stealing memories from us. 

Being mentally present in life is something all people should care about and be more conscious of. If you zone out and look at your phone for an hour, you more likely than not just lose an hour of your life. When you are scrolling on social media, you truly are not present. It is purely constant dopamine. At the end of the day, we should all want to maximize our time on this planet and use it to the best of our abilities. You can do so by being more mentally present in the moment and valuing time more. 

How can you be more mentally present?

Consider how much media you are consuming. I am not saying consuming media is a bad thing, quite the opposite, but constantly consuming it is frying your brain. My personal goal is not to consume media when I am in nature. Walking to class, in my car, taking out the trash, whatever it is, I want to be present in that moment. Be conscious of your senses. What do you see, hear, smell, taste and feel? 

This will make you ponder and be more aware of your surroundings. This will feed you that “positive dopamine” we all crave and overall boost your mood in a better way than media overconsumption can. 

If you limit your media consumption to whatever you believe is a healthy amount, I guarantee you will have a boosted mood and accomplish more. A healthy mind is the beginning of a healthy life, and media overconsumption is holding you back from that first step. 

Share