Hello everyone, my name is Betina and I'm an app-aholic.
Apps.
If I could sum my
biggest time-wasters up into one word, that would be it. And if any of you have
an i-device, or know someone who does, you'll know what I mean. And don't think
you're exclusive if you're not with Apple, because I know for a fact that Samsung
and Nokia have jumped on the app-wagon, too. Angry Birds, anyone?
No one is safe...
O.o
Apps are the
sickeningly wonderful inventions of tech-savvy people with too much time on
their hands, who are clearly out to ruin your life. So they put their brains
together and invent these impossibly addictive apps that chew up all your time
and focus. Worst part is, they sell them to you like you need them. You wonder what you
ever did before this eclectic wonder graced the face of the planet. And of
course, one turns into one hundred, because once you’re sucked into it, you
decide you’re not really living until you’ve explored every app that could have
anything to do with your entertainment, social and work life.
Before you know it, they’ve taken over your life. You can’t do
anything without checking if there’s an app for it. You go to the gym, oh wait,
there’s an app for that. You want to play a new game, there’s an app for that. You
forgot where you parked your car last night; do not fear, for there is an app
to find it for you. You need someone to talk to; there sure as hell is an app
for that, too.
It physically puts
me into a panic when I look at the clock and realise three hours have passed
and I'm still playing Candy Crush. It's an epidemic. I literally didn’t
have the game for more than a fortnight before I started to see it everywhere.
Suddenly, my siblings, friends, and a bunch of randoms on the bus are all
playing Candy Crush.
Let’s face it: apps are highly addictive and totally unhealthy.
Staring at an iPad screen for hours on end cannot possibly be beneficial for
your eyes. Neither is missing out on life to play the latest version of Temple
Run. You fall asleep playing these ridiculously over-repetitive games, and you
don’t get out of bed in the morning before you’ve played a round. I mean, seriously,
forget the zombie apocalypse. It’s apps that are killing our brain cells.
What’s so unbelievably ludicrous about apps is, you’re addicted
even though you never get any satisfaction or reward from using them. Think
about this: if you win the next level of Angry Birds, do you actually get
anything out of it? Is getting a new high score in Sudoku going to help your
career? Does it add anything to your life if you have 5 different photo shop
apps? Are you going to help end world hunger or cure diseases by knowing how
many calories are in your breakfast every day?
The ugly side of technological advances is this: they distract you
from the things that will actually
help you get somewhere with your life. They waste time you don’t have, so you
compromise on everything else. That’s what addictions do, and just because
these ones are decorated in bright colours and fancy features, doesn’t mean
they aren’t just as bad as the others. Look, I’m not saying you should delete
all your apps and sit at your desk studying all day and never do anything fun.
Even if that were the case, I could not possibly succeed at winning it.
The idea is that life needs to be balanced. Everything needs to be
done in moderation, or it will do more damage than good. Apps are no different.
Of course you should enjoy them; that’s why they exist. But you don’t want to
look back at your life in 30 years regretting all the things you didn’t do because
you were distracted. There are a multitude of ways the world distracts you from
achieving important things, and if you don’t learn how to manage your time
between ‘fun’ and ‘priorities’, you’ll always let the ‘fun’ out rule everything
else. I’ve been there, and it’s no way to get by. It destroys your plans, and
pushes your dreams further each time you make another compromise for these
distractions.
What I mean is, there’s a time and place for everything, which is
why it’s important to prioritise. You only get one shot at living, and you need
to make the most of it. You don’t want to get to the end of your life only to
come to the realization that you didn’t do everything you wanted to. Play your
apps, count your calories, but don’t let them rule you.
At the end of the day, if you don’t take control of what you have,
then what you have will end up controlling you.
You’re probably thinking, far out,
Betina, it’s not that extreme. They’re just apps. Everyone has them.
Of course they do! I do too. But I’ve seen the ugly side of app
addiction, and it killed so much time I could’ve spent on more productive
exploits. It all comes back to regret, and there aren’t many things in life
that are worse than regret. All I’m saying is, no app - no matter how amazing
it is – will be worth the time you lose now, in ten years’ time when you didn’t
do what you knew you could’ve, would’ve, should’ve done. Don’t wait until then,
evaluate your priorities now.
Thank you for reading this week's blog. Hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to like the official page at www.facebook.com/bettieteesblogspot for weekly posts, inspirational pics & updates.
Bettie.
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