Everything in life comes with positives and negatives, and social media is no exception. Consider this: How do you feel when people click the ‘like button’ on your post rather than the ‘love button’ or some other? Social media works as a drug if you don’t regulate your use of it.
We used to feel elated and satisfied with ‘likes’ a lot, but the geniuses at Facebook thought that the ‘like button’ wasn’t giving people enough cyber-satisfaction and emotional highs, and they introduced a lot more. Now, we are more invested in how people react to our posts and care so much about whether we get commended or condemned.
How did you feel when Facebook and its related apps Whatsapp and Instagram were down for more than six hours yesterday Frustrated? Listless? Bored? Freaked out? How did you react? What were you doing? Fingering your phone and feeling anxious? A number of people were depressed. Some people uninstalled and reinstalled the apps. They couldn’t wait. A lot of people experienced FOMO.
That’s fear of missing out, by the way. In a fast-moving world in which we are being bombarded with more information than we can keep up with, people still don’t want to miss out on stuff. We want to be connected always, and the more we get connected online the more we get disconnected offline from the people who matter and maybe the things we should care more about.
Unless you are a social media manager, extensively utilise it for business purposes, watch how you use social media and avoid getting addicted. If the first thing you touch after waking up from a night’s sleep is your phone, then it’s likely you are already addicted. If you suffer from FOMO, then you are obviously addicted. Not ideal. Deal with it.
Social media can be as harmful as any illicit drug. It can distort your sense of reality, make you pretentious, and stall your progress and personal development if not used appropriately. It can affect your mental health as well. Do you see your age mates posting houses and cars? Relax. Your time will come. Nobody’s life is perfect.
The solution? Practice selective ignorance sometimes. It is not every viral video you need to watch and not having access to your phone or social media for a few hours shouldn’t cause you any mental breakdowns. Miss out sometimes. Not every information matters. Don’t go to bed with your phone. Put it away, far from you. Don’t go to the toilet with your phone. Shitting is no kid’s play. It’s glorious and needs your undivided attention. Focus.
“The proximity of a desirable thing tempts one to overindulgence.” – Frank Herbert.
Let’s do this.
By Stan Dugah
StantheStoryTeller
