F##k social media. F##k our phones. And f##k the opinions and justification of others. It’s time to take our lives back and appreciate our own personal worth.

According to the Pew Research Center, with regard to personal identity issues, “self-promotion . . . propaganda and pressures to conform have become dominant in social networks, causing individuals to experience the loss of self-confidence and self-esteem.”

While we tend to oblige the internet with lovely pictures of our getaways and personal achievements, receiving nothing in return, be it likes, re-posts, or otherwise, “encourages [individuals] to lose faith in others and adopt a negative world view.”

Whether you like it or not, this is crippling to our inner selves. It’s time to wake up and snap out of it. Smell the roses for crying out loud. Remember, your life is way more important than someone’s approval on social media platforms. Rather than posting an incredible image of you and your loved one at the beach, soak up the sun, get naked, and live in the moment.

How many times have we flipped to Instagram to view muscular bodies in an effort to emulate what we see, only to confront disappointment when results are non-existent. Or how about expressing our deep thoughts and personal sorrows on Twitter, only to literally check back within seconds to see if we received a response.

As sad as it sounds, more often than not, we anxiously check back and notice that there is nothing waiting for us in the notification section. We spend time exposing our vulnerable selves to the void and emptiness of the internet for nothing.

Even though we were being true to ourselves, speaking our minds, preaching to what we think is right, or perhaps asking for someone to lend an ear, we get nothing but more emptiness and rejection in return. Life is already stressful, especially for college students, so why load our plates with more bulls##t?

And, not surprisingly, our youth is being damaged by social media as well. According to the Pew Research Center, a 2018 study found that “59 percent of U.S. teens have personally experienced at least one of six types of abusive online behaviors.”

Instead, let us enjoy our lives without exploiting them online. Let’s go for a walk without snapping incredible photos of the sunset, and let’s enjoy it as if it’s the last one we will ever see.