Research
I chose to research the benefits and downsides of social media, texts that are similar to my project, and the practice of travel writing. While these subjects may seem unrelated, looking at them in connection to my project shows how they fit together. Many past projects taken on by other people have involved retreating into nature in order to become distanced from society. While I am unable to uproot my life and live in a cabin, as amazing as that sounds, these choices to make a significant life change can be seen in my project. The people before me desired an escape, and it was targeted toward society as a whole. Arguably, modern social media technology represents society, and the act of unplugging from those apps allows someone to partially escape that society. Moreover, the act of retreating and how many people before me have written about their experience can be tied to travel writing. My project is a less obvious take on travel writing, but as I talk about later, I was able to include practices of travel writing in my project. Overall, the idea behind my project of wanting something to change has been done before; however, my project represents a modern take on the traditional retreat story. Many past projects included changes unattainable to most people. Deleting social media, or stepping away from it, is a difficult but achievable task. Furthermore, past projects involved self-isolation. While I expected to feel more alone after deleting my social media, this act brought me closer to people than before. I hope people can learn more about each topic from my research as well as how they all intersect through my project.
Social Media
Multitasking & Procrastination:
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A group of students studying the effects of social media on college students found that "multitasking", in this case meaning when a student uses social media or electronics while in class or doing homework, "likely increases distraction, something prior research has shown to be detrimental to student performance" (Wang 5). This study goes on to say "As social media websites. . . gain popularity, they are also. . . becoming increasingly dangerous as they create modes to procrastinate" (Wang 5). While this study specifically discussed college students, the issues of procrastination and distraction caused by social media use can be attributed to people of various ages. Social media takes up time in people's days that can be used for other tasks.
The Benefits:
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In the same study as above, the group of students discussed when social media proved to be beneficial. The opportunity to connect with peers through social media as well as social media being a way to release stress were two benefits the study found. On the reflection page, I touch on the parts of social media that I have missed during this process. Furthermore, I discuss the aspects of social media that I want to have back in my life after the project. A quote from this article said, "When [interactive technology] is used in a positive way, it can be an extraordinary tool" (Wang 7). My project is concerned with how one can use technology; moreover, how the way someone uses technology can impact the benefits of technology.
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A study conducted in 2017 titled “A Study on Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media on Society” discussed the various sides of social media in different fields including health, business, education, society, and youth (Akram 347). Some of the positives to using social media that the study discussed were socializing, sharing knowledge, and learning from various sources. Another topic mentioned was the benefit of using social media to share thoughts and feelings. The study specifically discussed students in this section saying, “through social networking technologies, they are given an option to sound their thoughts” (Akram 350). No matter a person’s age, self-expression is extremely important to their well-being, it gives them the ability to comprehend what matters to them, and it implements freedom. Social media has the ability to allow people to express themselves and share their thoughts and feelings. Getting these emotions out can significantly benefit a person’s day-to-day life.
The Downsides:
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Some of the negatives that were evaluated in the 2017 study above included a reduction in real human contact, which “decreases… relational abilities… that [are] critical to achievement” (Akram 351). The connection side of social media can be a great way to reach out to people all over the world, but from this study’s findings, it can cause issues in people’s face-to-face interactions. Moreover, the reality of social media addiction can “squander individual’s time that could have been used by profitable tasks and exercises” (Akram 352). This idea, in particular, most connects to the motivations behind my project. I wanted to utilize my time in better ways because I felt social media was taking too much of it. Furthermore, I disliked how much of my day was spent on social media apps, which left me feeling down and upset with myself.
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Another paper that focused on what can be harmful with social media was titled "Social Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". This paper discussed how the benefits of social media can be used to ignore the downsides. Some examples of the negative aspects of social media the paper included were how "communication using social media might be more challenging as emotions can be difficult to detect and comprehend. Furthermore, the anonymity granted through social media facilitates harmful and socially unacceptable behaviors such as cyberbullying" (Dwivedi 419). These harmful aspects of social media, as the study discussed, can be ignored and painted over by the positive side. The downsides of social media need to be discussed alongside the benefits in order to fully understand the effects of social media.
Similar Texts
Sylvain Tesson's Consolations of the Forest:
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Tesson isolated himself in Siberia for six months. He decided to take on this journey in order to live a more simplistic life that relied on his own abilities to survive. In his book, Tesson described the struggles he faced, moments of self-improvement and self-discovery, and stories of the people and animals he encountered. He described the "strangely happy recluses" that seemed to be living the life his adventure would supply him (Tesson 3).
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This book connected the most to my project, but they were still unique from one another. He labeled his chapters by month and the entire book was made up of journal entries. He also wrote about his interactions with other people, and his experience overall. His journal entries are similar to mine in that they both are formatted by month, they are written daily, and they describe the actions, thoughts, and feelings that accompanied that day. His journals were written in prose form with lots of descriptions and calls to outside texts. I really enjoyed reading these, and if my project would have involved more changes, such as a change of space, I would have preferred this way of writing for my own journals. His journey was relatively short compared to others who had taken on similar projects. This can also be reflected in mine where I only did this project over three months; however, everything that I have learned will stick with me beyond this short time.
Richard Proenneke and One Man's Wilderness:
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​This book was written by Sam Keith about Richard Proenneke's "day-to-day explorations and activities [he] carried out alone... in the wilderness" (Keith). Proenneke decided to retire and move to the Alaskan wilderness after being introduced to its natural beauty late in life. Through Proenneke's personal journals, Sam Keith effectively created a tribute to Proenneke's experience of connecting with nature, becoming self-sufficient, building a cabin and a new life for himself. Richard Proenneke hoped "to be not at odds with the world, but content with one's own thoughts, dreams and company" (Keith).
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Richard Proenneke's journey is one where he uprooted his entire life without the intention of returning to his old ways. He isolated himself in order to discover who he was and what he truly wanted out of life. He changed his life's trajectory and escaped the social restraints that accompanied his prior day-to-day.
Henry David Thoreau's Walden:
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​This book focuses on Thoreau's decision to take a two-year retreat in order to avoid the distractions that came from his social life as well as to connect with nature. At the beginning of the book, Thoreau says "When I wrote the following pages... I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond" (Thoreau).
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Henry David Thoreau's journey reflects the common theme of giving in to the desire to leave modern society. Through his experience, he was able to try new hobbies, meet new people, discover more about who he is, and immerse himself in nature (Thoreau). In Thoreau's case, he chose to return to his old life after this experience, but that does not take away from the time he spent at Walden Pond.
Christopher McCandless and Into the Wild:
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​This book was written by Jon Krakauer about Christopher McCandless' decision to change his entire life. "In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley" (Krakauer). McCandless rid himself of his belongings, including his car and cash, and traveled through various landscapes and obstacles. Tragically, Christopher McCandless' body was found four months after he left home. Jon Krakauer, through his book, searches for McCandless' motivations beyond the assumptions made by the news following his death. He rejects the dismissal of McCandless' journey and the belief that he suffered from arrogance and ignorance (Krakauer).
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Through this book, one can better understand McCandless' desire for change being tied to wanting an escape from the pressures of society and understand the "grip wilderness has on American imagination" (Krakauer). McCandless completely changed his life by rejecting the constructs of society, meeting new people while traveling, and becoming self-reliant while in the wilderness.
Common Themes:
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Isolation​
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The majority of texts concerning this topic can be connected to isolation. No matter the location, the people in these texts wanted to get away from other people and society. In many cases, they interacted with neighbors, guides, or other people, which made for great moments of interaction, but these were not frequent occurrences. They were ultimately isolated for the majority, if not the entirety, of their journey.
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This can be connected to my project through my act of isolating myself from the world that I mainly see through social media. A big part of my project was connecting with people, which can be seen as contradictory to my isolation connection. However, I have spent the last three months distanced from the goings-on that I would normally interact with through social media. I wanted to escape the drama, the politics, and the pressure that had enveloped my social media, and that is what I accomplished through my decision.
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Self Discovery
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Isolation can be connected to self-discovery. Many of the people who decided to go on these journies learned more about themselves through isolation. However, self-discovery can stand on its own as a significant motivator for choosing to make this kind of change. Each person, whether they intended to learn more about themselves or not, made important self-discoveries.​
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My take on this act of escaping a routine also allowed me to learn a lot about myself. When I did not have the option to be on TikTok or Facebook all day, I was forced to try so many new hobbies. These hobbies did help me learn what I enjoy and what isn't really my favorite activity, but they also helped me learn more about what I need out of my day. I've learned that I need time to do homework without the option of a distraction. When I have this, I get more homework done, and that leads to my mood improving and my stress subsiding. I've learned that I really enjoy exercising, but I am the kind of person that has a hard time getting the motivation to do so. I've learned that I need to be pushing myself to make changes and do new things because I won't if I don't give myself motivation.
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Change
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All of the texts I found for this section can be connected by change. Each person in these texts chose to change their life for whatever reason. Moreover, how they accomplished this change was unique to each story, but they all involved a change in location and routine.
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While the people I discussed above were able to change their life in significant and large ways such as retiring, moving, and leaving home, my way of changing my life can be seen as minor. The grasp of social media and its impact on my life were ideas I was not fully aware of until I no longer had it in my life. This change is something manageable for people today. While moving across the country or continent may seem exciting and desirable, it is extremely difficult to manage. Being a student, I am tied to my location. Moreover, I am not to a point in my life where I could financially make that change. Deleting social media, however, is a change that is available to me and one that truly has uprooted my life.
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Travel Writing
Why Travel Writing:
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This project stemmed from my first-year Travel Writing class. My mentor was the professor for that class, and his teachings inspired my idea. The ideas from that class have helped me in this journey of change. This section will discuss travel writing concepts and how they have contributed to this experience. The books I will discuss below were each assigned for that class.
Thomas Swick's The Joys of Travel:
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​Swick details the seven joys that he has found through travel writing:
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Anticipation: "It inspires us to act and then grows as we do" (Swick 3).
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Movement: "Walking through a place, like writing about a place, is a way to possess it" (Swick 17).
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Break from Routine: "The attraction of travel is that it's not everyday life" (Swick 29).
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Novelty: "We've become so fixated on the world's similarities that we've lost touch with — or simply pretend not to see — its differences" (Swick 43).
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Discovery: "All travel constitutes a personal discovery" (Swick 57).
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Emotional Connection: "Travelers can be moved in unexpected ways" (Swick 81).
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Heightened Appreciation of Home: "The sweetness of return is felt even by the traveler who is reluctant to leave" (Swick 98).
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Note: Swick is explicitly discussing the act of traveling and the joys that one can find, as he has found, while taking those journeys. My project does not involve a vacation or trip in the most obvious sense; instead, it is centered around a change that can be connected to many of these same points. Moreover, his book can be used as a tool for writers to include these topics when writing about their own experiences. In a sense, this is what I have done. I have developed a unique way of creating an experience, and I have used these tools as a way to better understand and appreciate this experience.
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How I have used these topics in my project:​
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Swick discusses the idea of a break from routine and how if you do not truly change your surroundings, "You are deprived of the power of temporary change" (Swick 30). This idea can reject my project as not a big enough change to be considered a break from routine, in Swick's perspective. However, it is a temporary change that has impacted my day-to-day greatly. I consider this project a significant break from routine that I have been able to appreciate and learn from.
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As I have discussed earlier on the research page and on the reflection page, discovery is a huge part of this project. Self-discovery is only one example of what I have learned from this experience. I have also discovered a lot about how social media can be great, how anyone can decide to make this change but so many won't because of how difficult it really is, and how hard it is to keep yourself preoccupied. Discovery, overall, has become a large part of this project.
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One quote from the book states "The reason cited most often is freedom from distraction; when you're by yourself, you're most attuned to your surroundings" (Swick 76). This is from his section on emotional connection, and here, he is talking about why travel writers explore alone. I thought this quote especially connected to my project through the idea of wanting to be rid of distractions in order to be more present. This was the biggest motivation for this project; I was tired of wasting time that I knew could be spent doing other, better things.
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"[A heightened appreciation of home] is felt most intensely while traveling, a time when, ideally, you're not supposed to be thinking about home. You're expected to be preoccupied with the new, fully immersed in the moment" (Swick 87). This idea most aligns with how I have missed aspects of social media. At a time when I should be focusing on all of the amazing and new things I get to do, I have spent a good amount of time recognizing what I wish I could still do. I talk more about this in the reflection, but overall, this project has given me a heightened appreciation of some parts of social media.
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The Kindness of Strangers:
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​This collection of essays consists of many travel writers' "examples of kindness on the road" (George 8). It focuses on different stories of writers meeting new people while traveling, and those interactions. Moreover, it follows what strangers can teach you, and how being around other people can affect your journey.
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This idea of interacting with other people was a huge part of this project. I knew that I wanted to spend more time with people, and I wanted to talk to other people about my project. This value of being around others and learning from them has impacted my experience a lot. Being around family and friends has boosted my mood and strengthened my relationships. Moreover, talking to others about my project has brought to light new ideas about the importance of my project, and how I can help others with my website.
Final Thoughts
Lack of Research:
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Social media is a growing phenomenon in modern society. While it affects people all over the world on a day-to-day basis, not much research has been done on the topic. During my research for this project, I had a hard time finding reliable sources that discussed the effects of social media. When I did find a source, it was often not discussing what I was looking for. On the other hand, I found a few sources that contradicted one another. At the beginning of this project, I had begun digging into social media research. I was met with articles that claimed social media had no negative effects, articles that discussed the plague that was social media, and articles that had nothing to do with my project. All of this back and forth immediately turned me away from the subject. However, when I sat down to start my actual research for this website, I tried to stick with ones that spoke on both sides. I figured this balance would be the best way to find a middle ground regarding research.
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Overall, this is a subject that is constantly growing and further impacting our lives. Not only should the topic have more research done, it deserves to be studied. As someone who recognizes the lasting effect social media will have on society, I want to know more about how it can benefit or hurt someone. I want to learn why it is so addicting. I want to understand if there is a balance to be found between all social media or nothing. This project has its own questions to answer, but perhaps it can serve as a jumping-off point that leads to further studies and a better understanding of this incredible and overwhelming technology.
