A plethora of new phone applications have been created to make life easier. How much easier does life become when we don't want to step out into the real world?
Anytime you enter a bus, waiting room, or line at the supermarket, you'll notice groups of people all individually on their phones.
Talking to new people seems like it might be overwhelming if you suffer from social anxiety or nerves, but this doesn't mean that it's impossible. A majority of apps have catered to this need and in turn made the problem worse.
1. Postmates and Uber Eats.
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It's dinner time, but you forgot to do your grocery shopping. You've already settled in for the night and you don't want to go back out to go buy all of your kitchen essentials. So for one night, you're going to order out for dinner. You pick your fav restaurant and put in your address.
And then one night, becomes once a week. Once a week becomes twice a week, until this is part of your routine.
Although it's so much simpler to order food from online, make a conscious effort to go out and buy groceries! This will save you a lot of money in the long run.
(Or if you are going to eat fast food, make an effort to go inside the restaurant and talk to the people inside!)
2. Dating Apps (Tinder/Grindr/Bumble/Ok Cupid).
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For all of my lovers out there (you know who you are). These apps might seem like the easy way out for a date, but again, the best way to make a connection is to go out and meet new people!
If we spend all day on our phones, we won't be making genuine connections with people in real life!
Try a pick up line, or just saying hey!
3. Amazon.
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By shopping from online shopping apps, again it is all too easy to avoid creating interpersonal connections and simply scroll all day long. Trust me, I get it. I've totally been that person.
But I want to be better this year about shopping from local businesses to put money into my own community, and also just meet my neighbors!
We can create a community of friends instead of living with strangers when we begin to actually contribute to our community.
4. Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/YouTube.
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These apps tend to be my biggest social media addiction. The format of scrolling mindlessly through a feed of interesting content feels fun and harmless.
Sometimes though, we just scroll to scroll. We don't actually care about the videos, pictures, and statuses. We just want something to keep our hands busy.
When we go in line at the store and we don't want to make eye contact with the cashier. Scroll. We are waiting for our number to be called at the deli. Scroll. Our name at the doctor office. Scroll!
As for alternatives?
Anything with your hands really. Knitting, crocheting, a fidget cube.
Even easier than that?
Talk to the people in your community! These people are essentially your neighbors. Let's create a community together.
Creating a community instead of living with strangers allows for more security in our lives and more friends in our area! We should not trade convenience for people.
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