Those Five Minutes

After a long day of classes, all I wanted was to lie down and check social media quickly before sleeping. It was around ten. I was exhausted. "Those five minutes" turned into nearly two hours of videos and posts, and when I finally looked up from the screen, midnight had come and gone.

Lying there, I understood something about my daily routine: I reach for my phone to relax, and I end up spending far more time online than I ever intended. It costs me sleep. The next day I'm more tired, and it's harder to focus in class or on anything that matters.

I don't want to pretend digital life is all bad for me. It's how I talk to my friends, find useful information, learn new things. But I've noticed a pattern: the more time I spend online, the more distracted I become – and the more I start comparing myself with what I see on social media. That comparison quietly changes my mood.

What I took from that night is that there has to be a balance between the time I spend online and the life happening off the screen. I try to set limits and to keep the phone away before bed. I don't always succeed. But I'm more aware now of what digital life does to my wellbeing – and that awareness is where the change starts.