Today, in my Digital Media Literacy class, while discussing our media usage, some of my classmates claimed that they were addicted to social media. Whether they doing their homework, on a date, or trying to go to sleep, they claimed that they couldn’t stop checking their phone, their Facebook newsfeed, or even their twitter stream. Although, I didn’t agree with many of my classmate’s points, what I found more frustrating was the amount of times some of them used the word ‘like’ while trying describing their effort to get on the “IRL” wagon.

Although I’m definitely guilty of over and misusing the word ‘like’ – especially when I’m nervous – the word has become so ubiquitous in the conversations of most teenagers that it’s almost just faded into the background like a subconscious tick. Like, our nose looking past our eyes, we’ve become so unaware how much we use the word to fill space that it’s simply become routine. Ironically, this is how I think much of our generation used social media: as a space filler. Whether it’s a conversation coming to a natural lull, having just ordered dinner on a date, or switching from one page of homework to another, with so many social platforms so readily available, it’s almost become routine to check your phone to fill space. That having been said, like saying ‘like’, flicking your hair, or using any of our generation’s other catchy yet regrettable ticks, it’s become so ingrained in our culture that we’re unaware of it. Although, I do believe that it’s possible to be addicted to new media, I think that for most people, the road to rehab as simple making conscious choices. Whether that’s consciously trying to smooth out your sentences or purposely turning off your phone, like everyone knows, knowing you have a problem is the first step to recovery.

-Sebastian