Side Effects
All medicines come with lists of side effects. And, as the consumer, we make a determination about whether the potential benefits of the medicine are worth the risk of the possible side effects. In fact, we make that kind of determination in many areas of our lives.
What about social media?
Are we intentional about considering the benefits vs potential side effects of this constant input in our lives?
We scroll. We swipe. We double-tap.
And most of the time, we don’t even realize the effects it’s having on us.
There is no denying that social media creeps into our habits, our self-worth, our time, and our focus.
What side effects does it have that we need to weigh against the benefits it provides?
Decreased Attention Spans - Social media platforms make money by getting and holding their viewers attention. And, they train their users to crave quick, short bursts of information. Basically, they create addicts to make more money. Scrolling, the process of getting those short, quick bursts, becomes what we do ANYTIME we have a few empty seconds. The more we scroll, the stronger that habit loop becomes and the less we are able to focus on ANYTHING (studying, working, reading, conversation, listening) that requires concentration for more than a few seconds at a time. The decreased attention spans rob us of the ability to be bored, the ability to be quiet, and the ability to think deeply.
Distortion Of Time - The short bursts of content that we consume on social media platforms changes the way we perceive the passage of time. While we are looking at multiple short pieces of content, our brain tells us that “not much time has passed”. What “feels” like 5 or 10 minutes, though, is actually 45-60 minutes and it leads to hours and hours of unintentionally “wasted” time that takes us away from more beneficial activities (i.e. sleep, work, real-life interactions).
Constant Comparison - Social media content is, at best, curated and, at worst, produced to make everyone look like their lives are picture perfect. Those perfect pictures lead to constant comparison, conscious or otherwise, and, when our regular lives don’t match the “perfect” ones we see on our screens, we develop anxiety, perfectionism, imposter syndrome and other disruptive patterns. We lose the ability to live in the present moment because we are constantly thinking about how to present those moments on our social media accounts. We start doubting ourselves and our lives and get stuck in destructive habit loops that we struggle to get out of.
Sleep Disturbances - This side effect certainly includes users getting less sleep because they stay up longer hours to scroll social media. It also includes, however, effects of blue light exposure and constant notifications that effect our physical bodies. Over time, sleep deprivation has serious implications for mental acuity and physical ability that may not always be reversible.
Decreased Social Skills - As we spend more and more time interacting online and through devices, we lose the skills necessary to interact with other people in face to face settings. We lose the ability to see and interpret social cues; we practice courteous behavior and manners less; and we devalue real-time presence and conversation. Yet, while we tell ourselves that we are more “connected” than any other time in history, we are experiencing a “loneliness” epidemic (and its consequences). We speak in codes and emojis and mental health issues are worse than they have ever been. We desperately NEED real life interaction in order to thrive and social media addiction is proving to be as harmful as addiction to other drugs!
Too Much Input - Constant exposure to more content than we can ever consume is overwhelming our brains! Our bodies are physically changing to adapt to all the input all the time and, in the process, we are losing the ability to make decisions, organize, tune out what’s unnecessary, and prioritize what is essential.
Is there anything we can do to mitigate the side effects?
Here’s what I recommend to clients (and try to practice myself!):
SELF-AWARENESS: Track your time on social media for one week. Be honest!
SET TIME LIMITS: Set screen-free zones or times, like during meals or the first hour after waking.
LIMIT NOTIFICATIONS: Use the “Do Not Disturb” feature or an app blocker when doing focused work.
PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY: Have at least one thing you do EVERY DAY physically away from your phone (a hobby, a face to face appointment, workout, etc.). During that time, put your phone out of site and out of reach and let yourself be fully engaged in those moments.
Social media isn’t bad. But unchecked, it can blur the lines between connection and distraction, entertainment and erosion.
Let’s be more mindful about how we scroll—and more intentional about how we live.
Need help building better habits and managing distractions? Let’s talk!
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