As 2020 has faded like a bad nightmare and 2021 has started, it is time to start implementing our New Year’s resolution. For myself, my goal is simple – fewer hours on social media and more face-to-face interaction. Throughout the second half of this year, I was transfixed with Instagram and Facebook. Even people I hadn’t seen in years became targets of interest. When lockdown started, it was difficult to talk to people due to mask wearing and social distancing laws, so social media became the next best option.
The problem with social media, is that it isn’t really ‘social’. Most of the time, we are viewing Instagram feeds by ourselves. We see other groups having an amazing time, while we are feeling bored and isolated. This comparison makes us feel inadequate. Why is everyone out partying when I have no plans? (asks your brain). Of course, it is a false façade. We only select the best photos, discarding all the unsightly photos of your double chin. We take Instagram stories of our best achievements, overlooking all the work involved to get there.
For example, I recently posted an image of my most recent book, which received a number of likes and comments. What I didn’t include was all the hours of hard, arduous work. There was considerable effort editing and researching and uploading the book to different platforms. There were times it was rejected based on the content of the book.
The problem is we mostly perceive things superficially with social media. That is why I prefer the term ‘public media’, as it is open to all, but exclusive to some. I also found the more I was viewing posts, the less I was interacting. It was a negative downward spiral.
On the other hand, when people do share difficult or taboo topics, we routinely stigmatize them. From depression, to the difficulty of being is ‘iso’, there a range of topics posted online that are more appropriate for a therapy session. It is as if we receive both the best and worst of the user’s day, while ignoring all the information in the middle. The either end of the bell curve gets posted onto social media, while the normality of everyday life gets ignored.
The amazing thing about face-to-face interaction is that it has a different effect than online viewing. After viewing hours of Instagram stories, I feel like it is an itch that I cannot scratch, no matter how hard I try. Talking to someone in person is meaningful, reciprocal and comforting. They can share their difficulties, news about family and friends and provide information in a usable way.
For thousands of years, we have evolved to talk and cooperate in person. Only in the last 10 to 15 years has social media become a platform for communication. And it leaves out critical and important information that is necessary for everyday functioning. By living your own life, rather than viewing someone else’s, you get a greater sense of freedom and control. A Netflix series that I would highly recommend viewing is The Social Dilemma, which goes into more details about the addictiveness of social media.
Rather than viewing Instagram, I have made a pledge that I would read a book, exercise or write instead. I have committed to improving my photography and basketball skills rather than being a slave of ‘public media’.
Here’s to a new year and new habits!
Comments