I feel that social media holds down our progression as a society. Let me be clear: I am not claiming that I haven’t fallen prey to social media–because I definitely have. As a teen in 2023, it is genuinely so hard to get off my phone–especially considering the enticing mounds of homework waiting just past my screen. I’ve reached the point of having to physically stop myself from using my phone. I intentionally leave it uncharged, place restrictions on my apps, and sometimes, I even find myself locking it away in a box; no matter what I try, my screen time just does not stop growing. One solution that worked for me was deleting the app known to be the top brain-rotter of teens: Tik Tok; I just felt it was a massive waste of time. Although on TikTok I might see a token video of actual value, finding it is not worth the hours I spent scrolling through other useless posts. I have considered deleting other apps, like Instagram or Snapchat, but valid reasoning has always prevented me from taking the next step. Although deleting social media may seem like an easy task, it truly takes bravery and dedication. However, the free time you’ll gain from it just might be worth the pain.