【推荐2】When I was a young girl in 8th grade, my classmates told me how they met new friends and even chatted with celebrities on the Internet. I was intrigued and wanted to experience these exciting things. I opened an online account; this was the beginning of my journey through the virtual world. As time went by, I became accustomed to checking social media more frequently. I buried myself in social media, chatting with friends and sharing my life with them. Social media was a source of happiness and more so, it brought a sense of satisfaction, pain, and frustration.

My newfound interest started interfering (干扰) with my schoolwork. Instead of checking my school notes in time as usual, I checked social media more often to see what was happening with my friends’ lives. But I later discovered that by becoming more aware of other people’s lives, I became less in tune with myself. I was more focused on the illusions social media presented than the realities of my life. Thus, I started to sense depression, jealousy and hatred as a result of comparing my life with others. And I became much like what the people in the virtual world expected of me.

Luckily, my phone went missing and my mother refused to get me a new one. I felt sad and lonely. However, her refusal led to something more meaningful to my life. Within a month, I became less concerned about other people’s lives and more concerned about my courses. And I had more time to study and sleep.

Lack of social media also made me realize that social media had been interfering with my study habits and my private life. For example, I had no privacy. Anyone who had access to my social media profiles could easily find out where I lived. Moreover, I sometimes spent 15 hours browsing through social media without doing anything productive.

After examining my use of social media, I decided not to entirely quit social media, but to change the way I use them. I unfollowed sites that didn’t contribute to positive or educative aspects of my life. I only use social media to spread positive messages and connect with others. Social media is not inherently bad, but it becomes terrible when we are addicted to it.

【推荐3】It was a warm summer afternoon in mid-July at the Jersey shore. My four-year-old son and I hit the sand and started our adventure with bucket in hand.

I remembered the days not so long ago when a trip to the beach was just unbearable for my little boy. His sensitivities to sights, sounds, and touches would prevent us from enjoying everyday activities. My son, Will, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD自闭症谱系障碍). However, presently, we were able to walk along the edge of the water, looking for seashells to fill our red sandcastle-shaped bucket.

Will began picking up whatever shells he saw lying in the sand. After a while, I looked into the bucket and saw nothing but broken shells. “Will,” I said softly, “all of these shells are broken. You need to find shells like this,” I continued, as I held up a perfectly shaped clamshell with patience. Will gave me a puzzled look and continued on his way, gathering whatever shells he came upon.

I stopped, but this time I asked in a stern voice, “Will, why do you keep filling our bucket with broken shells?” He looked up at me with his big blue eyes and replied, “Mom, these shells are broken, but they are still beautiful.” He began pulling out different shells and commenting on their uniqueness. “This one is broken, but look, it has the color purple on it. Mom, none of yours have purple on them,” he said with such pride.

“And, Mom, this one looks like a smile when you hold it this way,” he said as he reached for another broken shell. “It reminds me of a clown. This one is round like the sun, and these ones are stuck together like butterfly wings...” my eyes gradually filled with tears.

“You’re right, Will,” I agreed. We walked along the beach, collecting only broken shells in our bucket and admiring their beauty.