COMMENT: For most teenagers, the thought of giving up social media wouldn’t even cross their minds, but at least one HSC student believe it’s the only way she can stay truly focused on her studies.
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Those of other generations may see her decision as an easy one, but any regular user of Facebook would know just how addictive the social networking tool can be.
Although a great percentage of communication on Facebook may be between people who see each other regularly or have other means of contact, everyone has at least a small group of Facebook “friends” they can only reach via the social network.
Students, especially those in their final years of high school, have and always will struggle with the many competing demands of daily life that can easily cause their grades to slide.
Whether it be a part-time job, sporting or other extracurricular commitment, students and their parents have to make tough decisions about what needs to give when it comes to the final years of school.
The internet, and other technological distractions such as video games, may be a relatively new addition to the list but really just tap into the age-old problem students of all ages face - procrastination.
While it might be easy to drop some activities and shift the focus wholly to study, most people would agree life is about balance.
Students aren’t the only ones to use distractions to avoid the tasks they should be getting on with.
A self-imposed exile from the online world may be the perfect option for some, if they are able to stick to the commitment.
But at the end of the ban the temptation to slide back into social media, or any habit avoided for a period of time, would be hard to resist.
Provided hours of one’s life are not dominated by staring at a screen, or any habit, there is no reason it can’t be part of a healthy balance.
