We Spend 3X More Time on Social Media than Real Socializing
The disparity between virtual and real-world socializing is costing us our happiness, according to numerous studies
Do you spend more time socializing in person each day or on social media? And by “socializing” in person, we mean undistracted, fully engaged, eyeball-to-eyeball conversation with someone.
If you’re like the average American, the answer is “no.” That’s because the average American spends three times more time on social media than on actually socializing with people, according to a study done by Mediakix. That almost sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
BUT. And, it’s a big ole BUT. (I can just hear LL Cool J in my head).
- Study after study, including one done recently by Oxford University, shows that real face-to-face time is essential for good relationships. As co-author of the study, Sue Fudge, points out: “Although social media may seem like the perfect way to make and maintain friendships, this research shows that face-to-face interaction is essential for truly authentic relationships and that shares, selfies and ‘likes’ are no replacement for the bonding that takes place whilst sharing food, experiences and anecdotes.”
And…
- In another study, researchers found that having limited face-to-face social contact nearly doubles someone’s risk of having depression. Yikes!
So, why do we spend more time on social media than actually hanging out face to face with our family and friends? If you’re like me, I often times think I’m too busy to get together with friends due to work commitments, kids’ activities, community involvement, etc. And, the truth is, we get sucked into social media. Really smart engineers and designers are building their products to suck us in. Without us even realizing it. I’m sure there’s a myriad of other answers here, but for me at least, once I stop and think about it, I honestly don’t have any good rationale.
The key takeaway for me is this: I need to spend more time on those face-to-face relationships. And, the thing is — I love it when I do. And, knowing it’s actually good for me is a bonus.
Heck, who says hanging out with friends isn’t productive (ahem, Mom and Dad)?!
