There’s no doubt that social media has changed the way we communicate and connect with each other. But aren’t we too connected to these platforms?
I have been curious about the impact of social media on our behavior since many years and by exploring this area I was able to deepen my understanding of the ways in which social media affects our thoughts, emotions, and action. I recognized that along with the many benefits there are downsides that come with using social media in a unbalanced way.
There are many areas we could discuss when talking about the use of social media. I decided to share a few learnings on following three topics:
1. The risk of addiction
2. The beauty of delay gratification
3. To savor private moments with your crowd
You recline in your chair and spend hours scrolling through social media. Time flies by and it’s hard to put your phone down. But why?
Are we all addicts?
Social media uses our brain’s reward system Dopamine. This neurotransmitter is released while scrolling through news and feeds and repeatedly refreshing the page. Also our brain releases dopamine whenever we get a like or a comment on a post, which obviously makes us feel good. Whuhuu! The problem is, this sensation can become addictive. Ups!
Studies have shown that social media has a strong effect on our brain, and can have stimulating effects that are quite similar to addiction.
Dr Anna Lembke is a world-renowned on addiction. She says that every free second is a chance to be stimulated, whether by joining TikTok and Instagram, swiping through Tinder, or bingeing on porn, online gaming, and e-commerce.
But hey, life doesn’t always come with Instant gratification like on social media.
According to Lembke, the more we engage that powerful pleasure response on social media, the more we seek it. The repeating action gets less thrilling, and we end up needing more and more to have the same pleasure we had with a smaller amount previously.
But let’s face it; life doesn’t always come with instant gratification like on social media and we don’t always get what we want right away. And this is OK. It sometimes requires patience and persistence. We can chose to embrace delay gratification and then enjoy the rewards in a more sustainable way.
Is it time to get rid of Social media?
Not necessarily — but It’s important to be aware of the “side-effects” and to use social media in a balanced way.
You may want to start by asking this:
1. How much time do you spend on social media every day (check your screen time on your phone)
2. What types of content do you engage with the most and why?
3. How do you feel after spending time on social media
I have learned a lot through social media during the last 10 years. I don’t want to minimize the positive effects. They exist. Nevertheless I do believe that sometimes we tend to miss out on offline experiences because we are too focused on capturing it for social media.
Savor the beauty of private moments
Lately I came across the Tedx of Bryce Dallas Howard; she follows the 48h delay principle, means that whatever your experience offline is, try to wait two days before posting it and just enjoy the moment.
Her talk is about personal boundaries and to savor the beauty of private moments.
Check the full talk here: https://youtu.be/G-lWWxJPfFo
Using Social Media in a meaningful way
I would definitely agree that sharing our life, relationship and our work wins online is part of today’s culture — but I even more agree that keeping some stuff private with your loved ones can actually lead to a more connected life and allows you to share the most authentic version of you.
With intentional use and personal boundaries, using social media allows us to connect with each other in a meaningful way, stay informed, keep some memories, have a good laugh and express ourselves creatively.
The question is, how much social media do you really need?
I guess the answer lies in our hands (or fingertips).
