Instagram the Addiction Nobody Wants to Admit To
Slowly destroying your brain chemistry and social skills.
I would like to believe that if it wasn’t for my business I would never have created an Instagram account. The reason is when I was in primary and high school I resisted the peer pressure to open a Facebook or Bebo (for those who still remember) account. It was only towards my finals 2 years of high school that I finally caved and wanted to see what the fuss was about so I created a Facebook account. I used it a few times but I didn’t really like it. It was only after high school that I actually started getting hooked to it because I wanted to show people how great I thought my life was. Luckily I spotted the negative effect it was having on me and stopped using it.
Fast forward a few years later I had an Instagram account. I knew that social media was the best way to attract new clients and grow my business. I would check my account several times throughout the day. In my mind I believed that was me working hard. Then I realised I was just like the majority of people using Instagram, highly addicted. I still needed it for my business but I knew I had to put some measures in place to gain back control. I set 2 slots, 30 minutes in the morning and 1 hour in the evening for me to communicate with potential clients, new posts and grow my online brand.
Even though I had these measures in place I still find myself scrolling continuously and worrying about the lack of likes I received. It was only after I watched “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix that I could see that their was nothing wrong with me, Instagram and other social media platforms are by design meant to be extremely addictive. They make money through our attention (selling to advertisers) and stealing our time. That’s their business model. What really struct me about this documentary is that it was coming former employees (1 former owner) who had high positions in the companies and who designed the software. When you have the workers who designed the algorithm telling you that they‘re even scared of the algorithm that’s when you knew their is a real problem.
You don’t have to quit your Instagram account but you need to know that it’s not a harmless tool, this creature has a mind of its own and can easily addict you regardless of will-power. Lets go through some of the ways Instagram and other social media platforms are affecting peoples lives.
Brain Chemistry
We‘re all aware that slot machines are designed to be highly addictive. You keep on playing in the change that you might win. When you do win that feeling you get is from a release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters are released in many things in your daily life but the slot machines releases a large dose which can lead to addiction.
Instagram is the same, every time you scroll down your feed, your playing the slot machine searching for a dopamine release.
That’s why you constantly pick up your phone and check your Instagram because a like, comment or follow is another release of those feel good neurotransmitters.
Every notification you receive is another release.
Lack of Social Skills
Everything I’m covering in this article is even more significant to children. Previous generations are lucky because they can remember a time when their was no such thing as social media but this generation are prettying much being raised by it. If you just observe kids theses days you can see that they’re less confident, not sure about themselves and lack social skills. Simple things, like greeting others, being respectful to your elders and having a conversation. We’re at the point now were people can have a full on conversation online but when they’re face to face with someone they can barely look then in the eye or say anything.
Playing A Game You Will Always Lose
Comparing yourself is human nature. Before social media you would compare yourself to the people in your life, in your town but now you are comparing yourself to every single person in the whole. That’s a game you’ll always lose because the world is a big place, no matter what you achieve there’s always someone better off.
This something I continue to struggle with. My passion is calisthenics and I want to learn as much advance skills as I can. No matter how hard I try to prevent it I always find myself comparing myself to other athletes. Even though I continue to improve in my training it’s never good enough because he/ she can do this or that. I put myself down because I believe I’m progressing slow even though I’m not.
It’s doesn’t matter who you are or what you have accomplished, spend too much time on Instagram and it will have you feeling crappy about your life. This very thing happens to those people you’re idolising.
I have to mention what you see on Instagram is not even real life, It’s only the best moments of what people want you to see.
Steps to Gain Back Control
I’ve only covered the negative effects of Instagram but it also has positives, business, best way to reach people and nice to see what friends and family are up to (to a limit).
Here are some measures I take to reduce the amount of time I spend on social media:
- Active 2–4 times a week.
- I turn off all notifications (including messages) except calls, if it’s an emergency people will call otherwise I will get to them when it’s convenient for me.
- I keep my phone far away from me, that way I actually have to exert a little bit of energy by getting up and going to my phone. When your phone is always an arm reach away you will you pick it up for no reason at all.
- I use What’s app to communicate with people. Yes it’s also a social media platform (owned by Facebook who also own Instagram) but it’s less intrusive (for now) and most of the people in your contacts you knew them personally and care about them.
- Log out of your account. By staying online even though I’m not using it I can always feel like a part of me is still connected.
- Limit the amount of social media platforms you use, you don’t have to have an account on every platform.
- Start communication with friends, family, co-workers, neighbours and stranger in real life. It’s a lot more rewarding.
