Participant Spotlight: Mailli McCarthy - Fisher

We are pleased to share an essay from SEUT Essay Challenge participant Mailli McCarthy-Fisher, a student at Leodis V. McDaniel High School. In “Blossoming Beyond Social Media,” Mailli reflects on her two-year journey to becoming completely social media free. She describes the clarity and joy that came with deleting apps one by one, rediscovering conversation, nature, and creativity in their place. Drawing from her experience and what she has seen in classrooms, Mailli critiques the addictive design of platforms and the growing dependence of students on phones. Ultimately, she calls for self-control, digital detox, and a shift back to mindful, engaged living.

You can read Mailli’s essay below:

I finally accomplished the goal I set for myself over two years ago: going completely social media free. As I deleted them one by one, it became much less daunting, even becoming a relief. The change was gradual. It started in late 2023 with tik tok. Snapchat was removed a year later, followed closely by my deletion of Instagram in January. The final social media remaining was FaceBook, my reasoning was the content isn’t as mind numbing. But I soon realized that so long as I had a social media account, I had something to waste my time on. I, like many others, had an addiction. So, as of last week, I am officially social media free. Although the journey has been hard, it’s been worth it. With every app I deleted, the better I felt. I started engaging more in classes, pursuing conversations with those around me, hiking and enjoying nature, and even started reading for pleasure and creating art again. All things that I now realized, were slowly replaced and forgotten due to my descent into social media addiction.

For this reason, social media is the most pressing issue of technology today. It’s not just social media, it's how it is used specifically. One of the main things social media is known for is politics. Since social media is the most extreme exercise of free speech, anyone can post anything. So, oftentimes, young mind’s opinions are formed based on misinformation and popularity. The documentary “The Social Dilemma” divulges the morally corrupt designs behind social media, proving it is engineered by psychologists to keep the viewer scrolling by tailoring it to the individuals creating a dependency. Which is why it is not uncommon for the average person to have little to no diversity in their content and does not allow for the viewer to be exposed to opinions and news from all backgrounds across the globe.

There are of course, the few who do not fit the mold, and actively go out of their way to diversify their content and lives everyday, but the majority do not. I have noticed, especially with generation z, that many are not willing to step outside of the comfort of their own opinions and cultures. While many in my generation have done a wonderful job at incorporating inclusivity in many places, there are the same number of, if not more, people who are not willing to be open minded to others. A majority of both of these mindsets lack research outside of social media. Since misinformation is so easy to spread, especially with the rise of AI content, many from all generations are unable to distinguish between fact and fiction.

It is not only in politics and opinion that I see the impact of social media and technology use. Over the past five years, I have seen and experienced a leniency on policies regarding phone use in schools. When I attended middle school in 2018, phones during the school day were strictly prohibited and even punished. Since then, I have experienced a decline in the strictness of the policies. It first started with lunch, then in the hallways, then as kids became bolder, and teachers more tired, the problem moved to the classroom. At first, it started behind bags or under tables, but as less kids got caught and less teachers cared to fight the problem, the disrespect moved on top of the desks. It is now not uncommon to walk into a classroom and more than one student has their phone out on their desk while the teacher is teaching. As I type this, nine out of the fifteen students in my class are on their phones. That is over half of the class.

In an attempt to combat this problem, there has been a series of protocols many school districts have implemented. These range from cell phone cubbies, to confiscating, to built in cell phone breaks. Schools do all they can to stop phone use, but students are stubborn and phones are a possession they are not willing to put down. When many students are willing to take failing grades over removing the device during learning time, how is this generation expected to succeed?

There are many people and situations at fault for the increase of phone use in schools and life, but the people most at fault are the users themselves. Those who use social media, including myself until as of recently, lack self control and self education. They mindlessly scroll for hours, feeding their minds with content whose quality is comparable to that of a fast food meal. Instead of expanding their minds, they are shutting them off. From the latest Hollywood gossip, to the same mass produced ads every three videos, there is truly a lack of cognitive effort needed to partake in screen time. That is ultimately why social media is an addiction. It serves as an escape. Social media is a place where the user believes they are in control and can shape their own image to their liking, leaving out the undesirable parts. In a world that is so full of hate that requires much energy to respond to, it is no wonder that the average person would much rather turn a blind eye and numb their mind, than spend every ounce of energy being the change they want to see in the world. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I write this to implore those who read it to, even if for just a week, detox from their socials and connect with the world around them. I can guarantee that once those socials are deleted, you will blossom. It may be gradual, but you will notice changes in yourself and your environment for the better. Remember: a journey that is dedicated to the betterment of yourself and the world around you, is never a wasted one.