NOW that our phones are always within reach, our notifications never stop and our screens follow us everywhere, I have a question for the culture: When did being constantly connected become something we accepted as normal?
As a student, I am surrounded by social media every day. The first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone; before I sleep, I scroll through TikTok, Instagram, X or whatever platform is trending.
Sometimes, I tell myself I’ll spend just five minutes online, only to look up and realise an hour has passed. It makes me wonder: Am I using social media or is social media using me?
Social media was created to connect us. It lets us communicate instantly, share experiences and stay informed about the world. Yet, despite being more connected than ever, many of us feel increasingly lonely, distracted and overwhelmed.
Social media has become a major part of everyday life, especially for young people. Students use it for entertainment, communication, education and even business opportunities. It is now almost impossible to separate our online lives from our real ones. If everyone else is online, can we really afford to disconnect?
We are told that social media gives us freedom: the freedom to express ourselves, share our opinions and connect with communities that share our interests. But if being away from our phones makes us anxious, are we really free?
Every day, social media platforms compete for our attention. Notifications, recommendations and endless scrolling are designed to keep us engaged for as long as possible.
I watch one video and another appears. I like one type of content and my feed fills with more of it. It feels personal but it is carefully designed to keep me scrolling. Sometimes, I wonder how much of my time I have given away without even realising it.
The issue becomes more concerning when social media starts affecting our mental health. Young people constantly compare themselves to influencers, celebrities and carefully edited versions of others’ lives. We see achievements, vacations, expensive lifestyles and perfect appearances every day. But how often do we see the reality behind them?
Social media seems to encourage comparison. It can make us feel as though we are falling behind, even when we are doing perfectly fine. A student may compare their grades to someone else’s success story while a young adult compares their finances to influencers who seem to have it all figured out. But what happens when comparison becomes a daily habit?
Studies show that excessive social media use can contribute to stress, anxiety and low self-esteem. Social media itself isn’t necessarily harmful; it is how we use it that matters. Spending hours online can leave us feeling drained rather than connected.
What fascinates me most is how social media has changed our relationship with attention. Years ago, waiting in line meant looking around or talking to someone nearby.
Today, many of us immediately reach for our phones. Boredom has almost disappeared because social media is always there to fill the silence. But is boredom really something we should avoid?
Some of our best ideas, reflections and conversations happen when we aren’t constantly distracted. Yet, social media encourages us to move quickly from one piece of content to the next without pausing to think.
I believe this is one of the biggest challenges facing young people today. We are constantly consuming information, entertainment and opinions. There is always another video to watch, trend to follow or notification demanding our attention.
As a result, it can become harder to focus on our studies, relationships and personal goals.
So, another question for the culture: Why are we uncomfortable being offline? Why do we measure our experiences in likes, views and followers? Why do we spend so much time watching other people’s lives instead of living our own? And why do we call it connection when it can leave us feeling disconnected?
Despite these concerns, I don’t believe social media is entirely negative. It helps us build communities, learn new skills, promote businesses and raise awareness about important issues. Used responsibly, it can be a powerful tool. The problem isn’t social media itself; it is when social media starts controlling us instead of serving us.
As daily users, I believe the solution starts with awareness. We need to recognise how much time we spend online and how it affects our mental health, productivity and relationships.
We need to know when to put our phones down and be present in the real world. Perhaps the question isn’t whether social media is good or bad but what kind of relationship we want to have with it.
Do we want social media to be a tool that improves our lives or something that quietly consumes our time, attention and peace of mind?
Every scroll, click, notification and hour online shapes the answer. The future of social media may not depend solely on technology companies or platform creators but on us – whether we choose to be mindful instead of distracted, present instead of absent and connected to reality instead of constantly chasing the next thing on our screens.
In a country as connected and digitally active as Malaysia, that choice matters more than ever.
Adlin Syafi Khairul Anura is an undergraduate student of Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
