Ahh, reality checks. We’ve all experienced them. It’s like they exist so our heads don’t get too big. Or God forbid, we actually take a second (or two) to enjoy ourselves; life has a way of bringing us back down to earth.
“Are you still watching?”
Don’t lie; we’ve all been there. On a rainy day when you don’t feel like doing anything. You’re all snuggled up in your heated blanket, the pizzas are in the oven, and your arm is half engulfed by the family bag of Doritos that you swore you would share. Everything is bliss; your brain has melted into a blissful nothingness, and episode 19 starts playing (you started on episode 1). Then, Netflix has the audacity to ask if you’re still watching. I mean, how dare they? Now you have to wipe all the cheese dust from your fingers on your tracksuit bottoms, fling all the cushions off the couch only to find the remote chilling in the roll on your stomach. Yes, I am in fact still watching. Keep your passive-aggressive judging to yourself, Netflix, thank you very much.
“Your weekly screen time is available.”
I can be the first person to hold up my hand and say, “I am chronically online.” No, seriously, it is an actual issue. I don’t feel like I use my phone anymore; my phone uses me! Whether that is mindlessly scrolling on Instagram reels or “window shopping” the millions of “aisles” Shein has to offer. An hour could pass, and you’re still there sitting at the table, legs riddled with pins and needles as you finally climb out of that rabbit hole of satisfying slime videos. Then a push notification pops up out of nowhere reading, ‘Your average weekly screen time was 10 hours and 20 minutes; this is slightly lower than last week’s average.’. The feeling can only be described as that of shame and regret.
“Low balance warning, your balance has dropped below €30.”
As a college student, money is already a rare commodity. As an unemployed college student? That’s game over, my friend.
Times are tough, and nothing stings quite like your card declining over a single pack of chewing gum. Just when you think you’ve hit rock bottom, Revolut wastes no time reminding you: ‘Transaction failed. Insufficient funds in your account.’ Cheers for that.
And on the rare occasion that I do get paid? The second an impulsive purchase drops my balance below €30, I get that dreaded ping: ‘Your funds have dropped under €30.’ Simultaneously, my Mam gets a ping too: ‘Shane has requested €20 :)’
“Accidentally opening the Snapchat camera”
This one is a killer. We can all agree—angles mean everything.
So why is it that, in the brief moment between switching apps, Snapchat feels the need to confront me with that view? You know the one. The triple-chin, quadruple-corkscrew, half-asleep gremlin look. There I was, just trying to send my friend the 56th Instagram reel in an hour (he blocked me on Instagram), and now I have to come face-to-face with the worst version of myself.
Snapchat, do better.
Final Reality Check
At the end of the day, these little moments exist to keep our egos in check. Just when we start feeling a bit too comfortable, the universe reminds us: You are, in fact, a mess. And honestly? Fair enough.
