College Essay

With only a few clicks of the mouse and several deft keyboard strokes I successfully deleted a good portion of my social life. In the next few days and weeks a steady stream of friends, family, and acquaintances asked me the same question, “Did you delete your Facebook?” “Yes,” I’d calmly reply knowing what the next question would be. “Why?” I’d usually mumble something about finals week and too much of a distraction, but that factor only played a small part in my decision. So why did I delete my lifeline to the social media world. My instant access to any stranger’s pictures and personal information, my link to friends I don’t talk to and strangers I don’t know? Well, because of my British Literature teacher. As Mrs. Marge De Stefano strolled into the homey classroom on a crisp winter day 24 pairs of eyes eagerly followed her to her seat. “Good morning girls” she chimed, plopping into her customary seat at the head of the classroom. “Who’s ready for some Early Romantic poetry!?” 30 short minutes later we were discussing “The World is Too Much with Us” a simple yet powerful poem by William Wordsworth. In this absolutely magnificent poem-Wordsworth is one of my favorites so I might be gushing a little- the speaker angrily condemns the modern age for losing its connection to everything meaningful and beautiful and worthwhile in nature and life and the world. He depicts the rampant and destructive materialism that was prevalent during his time. “Getting and spending, we lay waste to our powers…We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!” Although written over 200 years ago, Wordsworth’s beautiful poem still possesses remarkable verisimilitude. As Mrs. De Stefano wisely observed: “Hasn’t your generation ‘given its heart’ to social media? To Facebook? You’re all so busy creating an online persona and chatting with your internet friends, that you that you neglect to form yourself as a real person with beliefs and values and you ignore your real friends. Even when you’re face to face with them you’re still facebooking away on your smart phones!” The stark truth of her words shocked me. That night I deactivated my Facebook account. Sure, I’ll miss seeing everyone’s prom pictures and getting a friend request from that stranger I met at a party once, but now I have an opportunity that few other young people in my situation have. Instead of pouring my time into creating a popular, pretty, pseudo-Alayna who likes the Killers and was invited to Josh Clark’s birthday party, I spend my free time discovering who the real Alayna is- a girl who cherishes long walks in the woods and loves a cup of tea and a classic novel more than almost anything. To misquote another Romantic poet “I deleted my Facebook because I wanted to live deliverately, I wanted to live deep and suck out the marrow of life.” (My apologies Thoreau) My online social life was virtually destroyed as a result, but I now spend every moment living, really LIVING, in the real world.