"Time traps" on social media

Scrolling through social media until midnight, checking notifications on your phone as soon as you wake up... this is a common reality for many young people. Never before have we had so many entertainment options, but this comes with the need to develop effective time management skills.

Enough, yet not enough.

In today's fast-paced life, the feeling of "not having enough time" is becoming a common state of mind for many young people. Despite working and studying constantly, young people are always caught in a whirlwind of busyness, pressure to perform, and prolonged distractions, making time seem to fly by faster.

Instead of browsing social media, many young people choose to read suitable books.

On days when she doesn't have to go to school, TK's (a communications student residing in Ho Chi Minh City) day usually starts at 11 a.m. The reason is that she spends the whole night browsing social media, chatting with friends, or binge-watching TV series. "Sometimes I feel like I'm almost unconscious, completely unaware of how much time has passed. When I'm too tired, I just fall asleep with the TV still on and wake up the next day to countless phone notifications," TK admits. According to TK, after the long Lunar New Year holiday, even though she's returned to her studies and is preparing for her final internship, she still hasn't given up her social media addiction. Her parents have reminded her many times, but she remains unchanged.

As for Minh Hieu (25 years old, office worker, residing in Ho Chi Minh City), after each workday, he often lies on the sofa scrolling through social media, as a way to prolong the afterglow of the recent Tet holiday. He shared: “Sometimes, I get so engrossed in movie review videos for hours that I suddenly realize it's already 9 or 10 PM and I haven't eaten or taken care of personal hygiene. When I realize it, I have to rush to bed near nighttime to finish everything, then quickly go to sleep so I can start work the next day.”

To be proactive and use time effectively, each person needs to allocate time to different groups: development (learning, work, skills), recovery (sleep, rest, exercise), and entertainment (social media, games, movies...). Establishing proactive rules is also a positive approach: turning off unnecessary notifications, avoiding reflexive phone checks, and setting limits on social media time. The ultimate goal is to allocate time wisely to ensure a quality life and a secure future. Because only when we master our own time can we master our lives.

Undeniably, social media is creating a strong appeal for many people, not just young people. An entertainment ecosystem with countless short videos, live streams, online games, etc., inadvertently acts as a "trap," making it easy for many to get in but difficult to leave. In particular, algorithms with personalized content, infinite scrolling effects, and the feeling of "just watch for another 5 minutes" are key to keeping users engaged for longer. Many people find themselves always "not having enough time" in real life, but always have enough, even more than enough, time to live in the virtual world .

Knowing how to prioritize and control

In the program "Life Stories," when discussing the topic: "Why do many people always feel like they don't have enough time?", Master Pham Van Quyen - lecturer in Psychology (Gia Dinh University, Ho Chi Minh City), stated: "We don't lack time, but we lack control. Those few minutes spent browsing social media or checking our phones may seem insignificant, but they add up to hours of wasted time. When we learn to cut down on and use our time purposefully, we realize we always have enough time to live better."

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, a financial advisor, social media is consuming a lot of young people's time, largely due to a lack of clear planning and goals. While using social media for entertainment is still necessary, it must be controlled, with a reasonable schedule prioritizing learning, self-development, family, and daily life. Once goals are defined, we will know how to use time purposefully, so that social media no longer dominates our lives.

In reality, excessive use of social media not only makes us feel short of time but also causes many negative consequences: decreased concentration, a feeling of being busy but unproductive, life imbalance, and psychological impact. Many people choose to "disconnect" from social media, but this is only a temporary solution. Social media is also a tool to support connection, meet learning and work needs, update information, and open up career opportunities…

HAI DUY

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bay-thoi-gian-บน-mang-xa-hoi-post842263.html