The naked truth behind social media addiction

Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube +++. There is an endless amount of time we can spend on social media. Some of it is good. We stay connected with our loved ones and people we admire. We share our lives with family, friends and others. We open up in ways we never do in the physical world. We can go behind the scenes, into others lives, and explore. We can be inspired, playful, smarter and creative. But most of all; we gain a sense of self-assurance and acceptance with every «Like» clicked.

But there is also a naked, vulnerable truth to our social media addictions that goes mostly ignored. The more time we spend on social media, the more we strip away from our real lives. We choose to fantasize and live this false sense of reality, even if it is only for minutes. These minutes add up into hours, days and months.

We might care more about how we are perceived digitally than our true physical selves. We forget to focus on our personal goals and endeavors. We end up having less time to do things that truly make us happy.

We easily become unsatisfied if someone else is more creative, has more money, is more beautiful, has a bigger house (the list goes on and on). But this is the type of information we constantly bombard ourselves with on social media. We forget that the perception of glamour and happiness in the digital void, can also be equivalent to loneliness in the physical world. The more time we spend on social media, is less time spent focusing on our own dreams and aspirations. Time quickly fills up with distractions instead of pursuits of achievement.

Just the tip of the iceberg

There are a countless number of reports and books coming out each year describing the negative effects of social media and the internet, especially on children. While social media can be a great way to stay connected, it is also a leading cause of loneliness and depression. Yet the situation is still ignored by many. Ian Bogust sums up it up nicely with his article “The cigarette of this century”.

Now we all check our email (or Twitter, or Facebook, or Instagram, or…) compulsively at the dinner table, or the traffic light. Now we all stow our devices on the nightstand before bed, and check them first thing in the morning. We all do. It’s not abnormal, and it’s not just for business. It’s just what people do. Like smoking in 1965, it’s just life. — Ian Bogust