The Paradox of Social Media

What makes social media so harmful? Is it the limitless amount of information in which is constantly testing your self control? The physical isolation it causes? Or maybe the consumption of time? It’s almost become common knowledge that social media usage is innately harmful to our mental health, so why is it that everyone still uses it? We are social creatures after all, so it doesn’t make sense for us to allow something that works completely against that to run our social lives. Nevertheless, it does. " Ironically for a technology that’s designed to bring people closer together, spending too much time engaging with social media can actually make you feel more lonely and isolated—and exacerbate mental health problems such as anxiety and depression."

The instantly gratifying cycle forms an addictive process that psychologically makes it especially burdensome to quit. Not only is it individually so challenging to quit using social media, but the popularity aspect also makes it difficult.

Distracting yourself is not exactly a bad thing. In fact, many psychologists or even doctors may recommend you do something like take a walk or watercolor, as a form of intentionally distracting yourself. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to or is interested in receiving mental help, or fulfilling activities with their own well-being in mind. This is where distraction can become a harmful thing for us; When we lose control in it.

The mission of Suburbia is to get it through to young people today that to feel their best, they must stay present. Social media directly impedes that. With that being said, for a high quality of life, one must engage in their own story and reflect on it in order to continue evolving. In recent New York Times article titled, “The Mundane Thrill of Romanticizing Your Life,” writer, Christina Caron states, “For the last two years, the phrase “romanticize your life” has emerged on social media as a call to action, rising in popularity during some of the grimmest months of the pandemic. It asks us to appreciate what we have right in front of us and to live with intention, no matter how mundane our daily rituals might be — a reminder to look for moments of beauty and embrace minimalism.”

This concept of staying present with an undertone of gratitude has become wildly popular, and is shown in the article to be expressed in a variety of different ways. She exemplifies this by quoting a social media user at the end of the article: “Jake Cohen, 28, a cookbook author whose avocado toast video was viewed almost 400,000 times on TikTok, said romanticizing is “about finding meditations in our daily rituals.”

Some may see it as “extravagant and pointless,” he added, “but if I want to romanticize my avocado toast or challah braiding, that’s my business to bring some extra beauty to my routine.” I find this statement so beautiful, because it sums up the control that we have in our mindsets and everyday lives. It exemplifies that we have the control to make every day something valuable to us, without caring for the input of others- which is exactly what social media leads us to do.

When viewing strangers’ “highlight reels”, without the context of their character, personal history, or honestly any context at all, it enables inaccurate comparisons. Comparing yourself to others, while sometimes can produce motivation, inspiration, and therefore growth, mostly leads to stagnancy and feelings of inadequacy. This is why it’s so important to have a strong sense of self, or at least strive for one, along with self-awareness. That allows you to give yourself a break. To be educated on the effects social media has on you, by no means, will make those negative effects go away. However, it will help you identify when you are faced with an effect, and avoid identifying wholeheartedly with it. It's understandable to not feel able to quit, or even to not have a desire to, however, building that awareness that it can be a rather severe obstacle, will help you in the long run.

The addictive aspect of social media, and its undeniable popularity, makes it incredibly hard to work against the damaging and self destructive consequences of using it. The usage of social media is a spectrum. Take someone's screentime for example, some people have over 15 hours weekly, while others never pass 3.

Focusing specifically on the effect it has on kids, teenagers, and people without fully developed noggins, it stunts you. Speaking from direct experience, using my phone landed me in an anti-social, anxiety ridden cycle. The worst of this for me personally, although I’m sure it was the same for many, was Covid-19. The pandemic heightened my phone usage, and legally kept me from socializing. As a result of this, of course I consumed a mass amount of content- like everyone else in the world.

Growing up on social media seems to have been a universal experience for those in my generation and the one before it: Gen Z and Millennials. Even between those two groups, there significant differences in the experience and symptoms of absorbing and creating content on social media.

Sources for this SUBURBIA Submission:

Robinson, L. (2023, March 29). Social Media and Mental Health. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm#:~:text=Ironically%20for%20a%20technology%20that’s,such%20as%20anxiety%20and%20depression.