Measuring Me
Similar to many in Gen-Z, I find myself on social media a bit more than I would like to. I think I’ve definitely found myself on social media less and less throughout the years, though I still find myself instinctually scrolling through Twitter and Instagram when I don’t even (consciously) intend to. For Measuring Me Part Two, I decided to track my social media usage in particular to uncover the bigger picture.
Throughout the past two days, I noticed that my social media usage came either in the forms of a) idly scrolling, b) seeking others’ opinions, or c) keeping up with engagement on my own posts.
Idle Scrolling
I discovered that most of my “idle scrolling” was a result of simply feeling bored or as if there was nothing else to do. When walking, eating, feeling unengaged in class, or feeling like I need a break from working, I would find myself suddenly launching my social media apps. At times I would open them for no more than a few seconds before realizing that I had began scrolling only out of instinct.
Seeking Others’ Opinions
While I do not spend a ton of time scrolling idly, I found that I definitely do spend a lot of time on social media seeking others’ opinions. I recently watched the latest episode of Euphoria for example, and soon after found myself scrolling through Twitter for quite some time to see how others on the internet were reacting to the show. I tend to do this sort of scrolling whenever I consume other forms of media — whether it be TV, film, or music. While this form of social media usage is more engaging and entertaining for me than scrolling without a purpose, it definitely is more of a time sink for me.
Tracking Engagement
I don’t post on social media too often, though I did while completing this exercise. I found that immediately after making a post, I found myself checking my social media repetitively afterwards in order to see how my post was being received. As opposed to evolving from feelings of boredom, I found that this sort of social media use seemed to stem from feelings of anxiousness.
One of the most interesting things that I reflected upon while creating this connection circle was the fact that social media can both fuel and feed feelings of boredom and FOMO. When I’m bored, I’ll turn to social media. When scrolling with intent, I’ll find that I am enjoying myself — but when scrolling idly and already in a disengaged state, my boredom seems to only increase. I similarly find myself going on social media because I feel the need to stay up to date with others… however, when scrolling I sometimes find that my FOMO only increases as I gaze upon whatever seemingly cool things everyone else is doing.
I also created a fishbone diagram to outline the different factors that lead to me spending time on social media. I often think that if I truly want to minimize my time on social media, I should just delete all of my apps. This model however allowed for me to identify the different ways in which I engage with social media. Moving forward, I can ensure to be intentional with the ways that I use social media — aiming to be purposeful in my use as opposed to being fueled by boredom or anxiety.
If I were to complete this exercise again, I would aim to be more specific about how I am feeling while using specific platforms. I am curious to explore more about how each form of social media influences my behavior and to see how I can improve my “relationship” with each particular platform.
