On Sunday the seemingly unthinkable happened. Something that
had you told me was going to happen, I would have sworn my arms would have
fallen off, the world would end and tears would have been inevitable. Yet when
this incident happened none of things happened. Not a single one. I truly believe
if you listen, the universe tells you all you need to know and this, my friends,
I am sure is a sign. Let me set the scene –
On Sunday I was running around doing house work, juggling
3 tasks at once, my hair was setting in rollers, keys between my teeth, trying
to film for my new You Tube channel, edit pictures for Instagram and had cats
running my ankles meowing like they had never been fed (they had in fact been
fed just before) when I dropped my IPhone in the kitchen sink which was full of
water, bubbles and dirty pots. In the silence that followed I realised my first
thoughts were not of panic and munity as I predicted but of total calm and
acceptance. The universe had spoken loudly – I needed to slow down. Admittedly
I did go to a local repair shop to try and revive it with no success. It was
declared that a smashed screen and water damaged sent my little mate to techo
heaven but most importantly it taught me some important lessons (not to just
get insurance and ensure you’ve backed everything up!)
1. Social
media is addictive.
Studies show that 63% of
people log on to Facebook daily, and 40% log on multiple times each day. People
use the site for myriad reasons; however, it usually serves, on some level, the
same basic purposes: distraction and boredom relief. “Likes” and comments are
positive reinforcement for posting information, making it difficult for a
person to stop. Researchers have found this so common that they created a scale
to measure this addiction: The Berge Facebook Addiction Scale. Just think of
all the productive things you can be doing instead of admiring other people’s lives
through a screen!
2. Social
media makes us compare our lives with others’.
Posts on social media many
times present an idealized version of what’s happening, what something looks
like, or how things are going. This can lead users to constantly compare
themselves to others and think less of their own lives. If things are going
particularly well for people in your newsfeed and you’re having a rough day, of
course this will likely negatively affect your mood. In fact, in 2012 a team of
researchers in the UK surveyed users, 53% of whom said social media had changed
their behaviour; 51% said it was negative behaviour because of decline in
confidence they felt due to unfair comparisons to others.
3. Social
media makes us restless.
Out of the same sample as
the above example, two-thirds admitted to having difficultly relaxing when
unable to use their social media accounts. For most of my life I have struggled
with insomnia yet for the past year I have banned all mobiles / tablets etc
from the bedroom and it is no coincidence my sleep has improved dramatically.
4. Social
media gives rise to cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is an enormous
concern. An organization that aims for internet safety, called Enough is
Enough, conducted a survey that found 33% of people who use social media have
been victims of a cyber-bully at some time. This happened to me a few years ago
when I was targeted by an ex-boyfriends new girlfriend – she put both myself,
my family and friends through hell with her cruel comments, copying, stalking
and downright nasty behaviour. The impact on my mental and physical health at
the time was extremely detrimental.
5. Social
media can make us unhappy.
A study collected data about
Facebook users and how it correlated with their moods. Simply put, they found
that the more avid users were overall more unhappy than those who used the site
less. Over more time, avid users also reported lower satisfaction in their
lives overall.
6. Social
media can lead to fear of missing out, aka FOMO.
Fear of missing out is a
phenomenon that occurs when you feel pressure to be doing what everyone else is
doing, attend every event, and share every life experience. It can evoke
anxiety and cause social media users to question why everyone is “having fun
without them.” Surveys have even found that people feel insecure after using
Pinterest because they feel that they aren’t crafty or creative enough.
Facebook and Twitter can make people feel like they aren’t successful or smart
enough which in turn can increase cyber bulling if people become jealous.
7. Social
media often leads to multitasking.
How many tabs do you have
open right now? How are you even concentrating on one thing? The thing is,
you’re probably not – especially if one of those tabs is a social media site.
Research has shown that our brains don’t have the capacity to fully focus our
attention on two things at once, and instead multitasking causes our brain to
quickly switch from one task to another. This hinders information processing
and productivity. Closing out your Twitter feed can seriously help you get some
work done. Not multi-tasking can also help to ensure you do not drop your phone
in the sink!
BUUUT…………
Social media isn’t all about selfie-taking narcissists,
cyberbullies, and killing productivity. When used in moderation with the right
intentions, it really can achieve what it was first set out to do: connect
people. Which brings us to…
Social media enhances
our connectivity.
A paper linking
social media usage to the Freudian ideas of the id, ego, and super-ego cites
many examples of positive psychological effects of social media. Perhaps one of
the most important points is that social media doesn’t necessarily take us out
of the real world. It can instead be used to revive and preserve relationships
with other people. Even more exciting about this technological world is that
there is an incredible number of like-minded people who can connect in just one
click. From makeup to travel to veganism to yoga I have had the privilege to
connect with some of the most amazing people through social media and continue
to do so. With living so far from home and travelling a lot it keeps me in
touch with the people I care about the most and more importantly share in the
highlights in their lives. But like everything in life there needs to be a
balance. So yes I have ordered a new IPhone but for now I am loving the
benefits of a full techo detox – thank you universe.
