Social media is a fantastic way to connect with distant family and friends, create connections with acquaintances, and stay in tune with the outside world. However, we all know that social media can also be the root to numerous problems that can either equal, or exceed, the benefits of social media as a whole.
American actor Mark Ruffalo summarizes this eloquently:
“With social media, you have this new kind of way to communicate with people that’s very immediate, sometimes alarmingly so, sometimes painfully so. If you could just hold some objectivity, a very direct, unfiltered, raw reflection of the way something is landing in the culture without any spin, or filtration, or anything, it’s very raw.”
According to Globalwebindex, people spend an average of 2:22 daily on social media. Although much of it can be productive, there certainly can be a lack of productivity on social media as well that can become problematic.
Two problems that social media has been linked to are depression and anxiety. Anxiety due to our society’s demanding pressure to be instantaneous, and depression since an inferiority complex can be created by comparing yourself to others, when people tend to only post highlights of their life and not “low-lights.”
The most tactful way to combat social media use is to limit usage. I use a screen time app (Android | Apple) to limit the amount of time you are on your phone.
But sometimes social media is not avoidable, in those cases, some mind power is needed. An understanding prior to logging on that no person is more important than another will be key. Every person has worth in the eyes of the creator.
I hope this week that you keep in mind the pros and cons of social media as you peruse the inter-webs.
Minds of Meaning 