Digital Obesity and My Addiction to Facebook
If you had asked me a month ago “Owen, do you have any addictions?”, I would have responded “No”. After an eyeopening analysis of my phone habits however, I must face facts and admit that I have an unhealthy addiction to Facebook. Using the app QualityTime, I logged how much I was using and unlocking my phone, and how long each app was being used. I collected data for nearly 3 weeks between September 17th and October 4th, 2018, and over that period, I spent nearly 24 hours on Facebook.
When I reviewed the numbers I was shocked. I don’t even consider Facebook to be my favorite social platform. That distinction belongs to Reddit, which was used a third of the time that Facebook did. Why was Facebook eating all this time then?
As much as I dislike Mark Zuckerburg and Facebook policy (R.I.P Humans of IGN’s Comment Section), I depend on the social media platform to keep in touch with friends and relatives, stay up to date with my organizations, get breaking news, and find memes that suit my unfairly high standards for humor. I think Facebook also has an advantage in providing engaging content. Much of what I am shown on Facebook has been posted or shared by someone I know personally, which makes it much easier to relate with. I don’t follow many people I know in person on Twitter and Reddit. Facebook also allows me to give direct input on content I do not like, making similar posts less likely to appear. Twitter and Reddit have no such input. You are shown what is new and/or trending with no real means of filtering besides blocking users and specific words or phrases. This means browsing Facebook feels more pleasant and personally relevant, with the added “blessing” of being able to create a more air tight echo chamber for my personal beliefs, something I actively avoid on Twitter, where I deliberately follow a select few individuals whose politics clash with my own in order to challenge my opinions. Facebook is the comfort food to Twitter’s potato chips. It is familiar, comforting and doesn’t dry out your lips or get crisp shards caught in your throat. I suppose I should not have been surprised by my addiction to this digital comfort food, as over-consumption of real food is also a struggle for me.
I am physically, and digitally obese.
Truth be told, I never made the connection before this assignment, but my digital obesity has likely contributed heavily to my physical obesity, and it would argue this is likely the case for many of the other 93 million obese Americans. I could easily blame Facebook for making such an unhealthy and addictive service, but that would be like blaming McDonald’s for making the Super Size Me guy fat. I have made my choices willingly, and cannot blame anyone other than my self (You win today, Zucc). I am now aware I need to make changes at the personal level. I have been lazy, and a procrastinator. I lack self control. This examination of how my time has been allocated speaks volumes, and it was only logging my phone, so my computer and T.V. time are unaccounted for. I do not like imagining what that data would look like.
Perhaps it is time to alter my diets.
