Growing up, I had no hobbies or meaningful interests; I merely lived in a constant cycle between my bed and my couch. A pile of books sat in the corner of my room, untouched, and my interest in other hobbies became familiar to my mind, but I never actually pursued them. I grew distant from everyone and realized that each scroll on my phone was a minute or two lost.
To me, the only entertainment and solace I could find were in my devices. But as time passed, I realized the addiction I was growing and needed to change. My vocabulary was deteriorating, and my eyesight was as well; it was challenging to read something in front of me without my glasses.
To rectify this, I began by simply reading more. Ever since I was a child, I have adored Greek mythology. It transported me to a different place simply by memorizing the Greek gods and goddesses, along with the stories that followed them.
If you were to ask my sisters, they could verify that I have explained myths to them during long car rides, elaborating on how they apply to the world. Because of my interest, I brought Greek mythology books, mainly retellings of the stories. Novelist Madeline Miller quickly became a regular author on my reading list.
Slowly but surely, I began to venture into a whole new realm of books: dystopian fiction, murder mysteries, historical fantasy, and science fiction. Currently, my favorite is This is How You Lose the Time War, written by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Eventually, disconnecting through reading helped me wean off of technology.
As I began to find more love in diving into the worlds each novel offered, I realized there was more to experience beyond a digital device. This adventure introduced me to music, realizing that life without it would be unimaginable. It’s a universal element that everyone can relate to and find a style they like, whether it’s musicals, R&B, jazz, or pop.
During one of my inevitable doomscrollings on my phone, I came across a video of a man playing a Beatles song on his guitar, and I instantly fell in love with the instrument. As Christmas approached, the idea of strumming tunes on a guitar called to me. With my growing interest, I quickly begged my parents for an instrument, showing them how much I wanted to start playing.
I woke up on Christmas morning, thrilled. Unwrapping each gift, I soon found the guitar I had begged for and was quick to try it out. However, learning how to play the guitar hasn’t been the easiest task, and most days I feel like giving up. But it brings me immense joy, disconnecting me from the internet, and that’s enough for me to want to continue.
Along with my guitar, my sister was drawn to starting piano. Similar to my guitar, I also fell in love with the instrument. On the days my sister was missing from the piano seat, I quickly tried teaching myself each key individually, and it felt as though everything changed. I couldn’t tell whether or not it was because I found it easier than my guitar, or if it was something completely different.
The days following at my Dad’s house, I was always at the piano, self-teaching instead of on TikTok or YouTube scrolling for ages. I was in the present, doing the activities I loved.
Despite all my recent interest in music, I was drawn to find more pursuits that allowed me to disconnect. With this, my mother influenced me to learn a sport and develop a new determination, pushing me into something I could tolerate: tennis.
Soon after, I was signed up —along with my mother —for tennis lessons on Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. I found it to be challenging as most of the students in my class were significantly younger, some of whom were still in elementary school.
Nonetheless, I pushed that all aside and continued playing. I had developed an attachment to sports, from practicing with the wall in my backyard to begging my mother to take me out to play. It kept me busy, and I didn’t want to pick up the phone anymore; I wanted to play.
Although they are hobbies, they mean a great deal more to me. It’s very easy to get drawn into the world of technology, often spending hours at a time immersed in it. Admittedly, it left me detached from the world, making me forget the good in life. There are more things in the world than just your technology; you just have to be brave enough to venture out and find them.
