Hidden Effects of Social Media
A Little History
Does social media really have an affect on our life? Most people will say no ….but I have experienced firsthand its negative effects! Interestingly enough, I am not the only one that felt it. Studies show that Instagram, Tik Tok and other forms of social media cause high levels of anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. So what is it about these platforms that we find so addicting?
Before we dive into its effects, it is worth taking a quick look into how one of them came around. Instagram was developed back in October 2010 by two tech guys up in San Francisco, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. It was initially developed as an app, where people could check in and upload their location using their mobile devices. Yet, this idea was quickly dropped as it was too similar to another app. Instead, the new version kept the feature of uploading pictures (with comments and likes) and renamed it Instant Telegram. It eventually evolved into what we know today as INSTAGRAM.
It is no surprise that it became an overnight success, attracting over a million users within two months of launching. Two years later Facebook (realizing its increasing value) bought it for $1 BILLION DOLLARS! Since then Tik Tok has joined the game, vying for our attention.
Social Media Today
So exactly how many people are using social media today? Roughly 5.22 Billion, which is 63.8% of the world’s population! I will admit…. I was one of those active daily users. It was the first thing I checked when I woke up each morning, and the last thing before bed!
All the across the board people are engaged. We have become so programmed to share our life, it’s like we are always trying to create new content. Business are thriving off this too, using fancy algorithms to track what we “like,” and gearing their ads to incite us, generating millions of dollars. Social media not only affects our perception of reality, but now it influences how we shop online.
Some will argue….what’s the harm? It’s nothing more than a virtual catalog of beautiful people and places. The problem lies with how this influences our thoughts and more importantly our feelings. Seeing everything through this distorted lens causes our mind to believe it’s true, leaving most people feeling lack and discontent with their own lives. It is not surprising that this new generation is faced with lower levels of self-esteem. Combined with the fact that average person spends 2.23 hours each day/ 17 hours a week on these platforms, the effects are profound.
F.O.M.O
It seems that one reason so many of us are addicted to social media is the fear of missing out- F.O.M.O. The need to constantly check our phone and see what everyone else is doing is really preventing us from living in the moment. And before you realize it, another hour has gone by.
The second reason has to do more with our Ego. We all have the basic desire to be liked and get approval and social media provides the perfect platform to showcase our self.
Like many, I was guilty of constantly checking my page to see how many likes or views my posts got. When they didn’t do too well, my mood was immediately affected. Similarly, when the response was huge, I felt immediate joy. My happiness was controlled like a puppet! Most of the time I wasn’t even aware of this.
Shutting It Down
One of the greatest gifts we have in life is TIME! How we spend it is ultimately up to us. The effects social media had on my life led me to rethink its purpose. What began as a fun platform to share and view pictures and videos soon became an addiction. Although at the time it didn’t feel like one, I was spending more hours than I was willing to admit. It seemed to draw me in whenever I felt bored, happy, sad, or anxious.
My initial intention of documenting my Fitness Journey evolved into a full time job. I was constantly trying to upload new videos in order to stay relevant. Without realizing it, my emotions were tied to viewer engagement and likes. I began to wonder if there was a magical time to upload posts. But as we all know, there is NO such formula. As a matter of fact, many platforms have been accused of altering algorithms, enforcing shadow-banning and removing likes altogether.
In light of this, I thought of walking away many times. But like most addictions, I kept shrugging it off, convincing myself that I was in full control. But truthfully, it wasn’t making me happy. Then one day I decided to close my account cold turkey. The minute I made the decision, I felt a sense of relief. Surprisingly, I was shocked at how difficult the process seemed. It was not a “click” of a button like I assumed, but nonetheless I did it!
Life Without Social Media
The first few days after closing my account, I felt lost. All of a sudden I didn’t know what to do with all this spare time. There was definitely a feeling of missing out! But I began getting texts and calls from all my friends wondering where I disappeared. I assured them that everything was fine, I just decided to leave Instagram.
Over the weeks, more and more people reached out. Interestingly enough, most of them said they completely understood. They too felt the same way I did…the endless wasted hours and mood swings. It was then that I realized that I should share my story to hopefully inspire someone else to make this decision. My account has now been closed since July of 2019, and here is what has happened in my life since.
All those free hours gave me the opportunity to think! Besides fitness, I have always pursued my spiritual side. Ever since I discovered Meditation, it has been my passion to share its benefits with others. I initially held weekly Meditation classes at my house for close family and friends, but it became increasingly difficult to accommodate everyone’s schedule. Over the last few years I have been teaching others how to manifest, something that I have been practicing and mastered over the last 19 years.
Last year, I finally decided to create an online program that shares the Skill of Manifesting. A 14 day step by step course that guides you with lessons and meditations in how to attract anything you desire in life!
In Summary
Knowledge is a powerful tool, and realizing the effects of social media can empower you to make a choice. Anyways with all the different filters, much of what we see is not reality but a distorted view. Only the best pictures and videos get posted. These perfect images cause feelings of self-doubt and low vibrations. In addition, all those wasted hours can be put towards manifesting new experiences into your life.
So what can YOU do? If closing your social media accounts sounds a bit too drastic, here are some other things you can try:
- Make an effort to limit yourself to a certain amount of time each day using a timer. At first, it might be tempting to re-check your phone, but overtime it will get easier.
- Next, use that “time off” to think about what you really want out of life. Is there something you always wanted to do? Classes you thought about taking? Allow yourself the opportunity to explore and actually go and try things out.
- Finally, if you feel that you are still unable to disconnect, consider temporarily disabling your account. Don’t worry your profile, pictures & likes will still be there if you choose to reactivate it again. This can give you the break & freedom to experience your own life and all its possibilities!
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