Going online allowed me to escape external issues in my life

When I was younger, I quickly realised that going online and immersing myself in that world allowed me to escape the external issues in my life. Social media offered countless gateways to further distraction - pornography, for example, was so easily accessible that I could stumble upon it without even looking, just by scrolling through platforms like Instagram or Twitter. Unaware of the dangers of falling into these rabbit holes, I grew increasingly dependent on them, which ultimately made it difficult for me to focus and apply myself to anything. Over time, I developed a distorted view of sex, relationships, and even the world around me, as I became more disengaged from reality. It was such an effortless distraction that I failed to recognize the importance of creating real-life experiences to develop your mind, or appreciating the time of my childhood. If I could go back, I would seek to fully understand the lasting costs this has on my mental health, so that I would no longer rely on my phone, or any social media, to avoid depression and stress.