90% of people in developed countries today say they haven’t spent a single day in the past year without looking at their phone. The same 90% also spend over 46 hours on their phones every week (that’s more than the average work week!) mindlessly scrolling on their favourite apps—TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat…and the list goes on. No one can deny it; social media has become an integral part of the modern generation’s lives. But how could this possibly affect the people themselves, spending a significant portion of their day on these seemingly harmless, tiny pocket-sized devices?
It could be said that social media is a new form of paradise, a new source of dopamine that’s widely accessible and often free. And it is true for most cases due to its unparalleled features: friends and loved ones scattered all around the world that feel impossible to reach are now only a tap of the “Call” button away, several newspapers filled with not only local news but also international ones are conveniently condensed into one scroll session, and users can even have their own ‘therapy’ sessions with other users—the sky’s the limit for these platforms. We often see these features as opportunities to build social reputation, self esteem and personality; connecting with like-minded people in communities usually also heavily encourages this, which is why we tend to see most individuals residing in communities as a result. This gives individuals solace within social media, inducing a sense of belonging and serving as a source of emotional support. It’s like a free life hack that no one can resist!
But this is exactly what causes people to fall into the trapdoor of social media. Albeit being called a ‘paradise’, social media is also commonly referred to as a drug: the reason being that as with all drugs, social media can also become an addiction to many, and that’s exactly what’s happening with most users. We often spend an extensive amount of time on social media, whether intentionally or not, which may unknowingly introduce a substantial amount of issues into our lives, especially when combined with the lack of self-discipline to take frequent breaks between each scrolling session. Excessive exposure to social media can take one to a hidden realm of toxicity: that is, the comment section. While the surface of the comment section may sound appealing and full of compliments, going deeper into it slowly unveils intensely negative perspectives, often to reduce individuals’ self-esteem and confidence. As individuals who are trying to build these qualities themselves, these comments can be detrimental to their own self-perception, quickly serving as a step backwards from their goal of happiness.
To put it simply, social media is like our Earth: a double-edged sword of Heaven and Hell. While it could serve as one’s paradise, to another it could be a place of torment. In the end, it all depends on how we use social media, and our extent of using it—it will all affect us in different ways.
