Dear editors,
I’d like to thank ‘L.S’ for their reflections on the late-night musings I like to present to Cara as “articles”; I’m glad a conversation around this social predicament has been started.
Regarding the first question on combatting FOMO, I think simply through this exchange we are illustrating the first (baby, if you will) step towards a true freedom of will, in terms of where we allocate our attention throughout the day – and that is awareness. Awareness through discussion, awareness through education and awareness through our own rumination are the main drivers of the ebb and flow of societal change. It is important, I believe, to get acquainted with the problem at hand, namely the social media reliance epidemic, through books, documentaries (‘the Social Dilemma’ on Netflix is a good start), talks, articles, random sleepover chats and whatever strikes your fancy. Only through discussion can we learn that we don’t have to navigate social media alone, and that people really won’t like you any less if you happened to have missed some event at that gathering you didn’t go to.
Equally, it’s very easy to become preachy, which I’m conscious of, because in no way am I some minimalist guru who lives in a one-man tent in a forest without broadband. No, I’m a (barely) functioning teenager, with a Leon coffee subscription and earphones in my ears a lot of the time. However, I have come a long way since my Year 8 days of thinking I will cease to exist in my friends’ minds just by being absent from one birthday party because I prioritised making some Biology poster about amoebas.
How does this tie into sleep, you might ask, and I would respond that the long-winded point I am trying to make is that it is important to prioritise what is most significant at the moment. Balance is important! There are times when you may have to postpone a homework to attend a once-in-a-lifetime concert – that’s wonderful, you shouldn’t wait to get out of school to experience life. There are also times when it would be wisest to have an early night because you feel exhausted – that’s awesome, you shouldn’t have to wait to get out of school to look after your physical and mental health (I say, typing away at 22:45pm). School is not the only makeup of our lives! There will, of course, be a time when you really should sit down and revise for that Chemistry test, but as long as overall you’re not sacrificing one of the three main pillars of existence, working, socialising and sleeping (not to be dramatic with my terminology, of course) for another, continuously, I say you’ve got yourself a neat little organised system.
And, lastly, an ode to caffeine. I will say right now, fair and square, that Vendella at Leon really does keep me going through the days. As I think many baristas around Wimbledon do for the members of our sleep-deprived community. And there’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself an oat latte, so long as you stick to my (wait for it – hold my tea) ‘Carefully Constructed Criteria of Caffeine Consumption’, which includes just two points, which, after being reflected on, can be disposed of. The first – can you function without caffeine, or do you rely on coffee as the scaffolding to your existence? If you simply enjoy the taste and aroma of a drink well done and provided you don’t drink it too late in the day (caffeine takes six hours to get broken down to HALF the original concentration), I say go for it. The second – why do you drink it? If it’s to wake up, and it works for you – sure. But there are alternatives like matcha, and strong teas, which have lower caffeine concentrations. Is it for the taste? Then get decaf. It is, after all, potentially addictive.
Feel free to reach out if any more thoughts arise, I’d be intrigued to hear them.
All the best,
Sasha Burina-Ling
