No really, if you don’t get a hold of that nasty social media habit of yours, you’ll DIE. And not an exciting death worthy of a dragon rider. Just a sad, sad one.
I’m kidding? Or am I? I mean those challenges littered all over TikTok and Instagram to name a few social media sites are reportedly killing children and people in general. Then again is it really social media’s fault or a parent’s inability to regulate what their children are scouring the internet for? Questions, questions, questions.
I’m not saying social media is bad. Rather, it’s the way it’s utilised nowadays that rubs me and possibly millions of other people the wrong way. Before I delve into why social media can be the devil, I think it’s safe to define it. So, what is social media you may ask? (Said no one, ever). I’ll tell you anyway. Social media is an endless cesspit of serotonin inducing content that makes John a dull boy. I’m sure it’s a no brainer that this definition came from yours truly. Seriously though, social media is defined by Meriam-Webster Dictionary as forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content.
Academic research finds that social media refers to a web of online platforms that enables users to create, share and interact with content, information, or other users in a virtual environment.
Where did this beautiful monster called social media come from?
We can claim that social media began on May 24, 1844. Shocking right? That far back and what not. Samuel F.B Morse a painter turned inventor sent a message from Washington to Baltimore. Today the message would have read, “What Hath God Wrought?” The difference was that my guy Morse didn’t type this message with his thumbs but instead tapped dots “on a device of cogs and coiled wires,” a historian later stated. Telegraph operators began “chatting” with each other by tapping on their keys. Funny enough, there were early versions of OMG: G M meant good morning and S F D meant “stop for dinner.”
The timeline of social media’s creation and evolution is quite long stemming from trials. It stretched out from 1969, 1987 to 1997. Then 2001 birthed Friendster, then 2002’s Linkendin was born. Then there was MySpace in 2003, in 2008 facebook which was launched by Mark Zuckerbag in 2004 eclipsed MySpace. Then came Reddit in 2005, then Twitter in 2006, then Instagram in 2010 then it all went on until TikTok was founded in 2016.
I know it’s a long timeline and I barely scrapped the surface! I hope my rudimentary explanation somewhat sheds light to social media’s origins. I would say many people play and will continue to play a part in fostering the evolution of social media.
The positive side to social media (meeehhh)…
Social media has done the world a lot of good. “A lot of good” would be a gross understatement. It has facilitated business and career opportunities, fostered connectivity and community building, provided access to information and education, fostered self-expression and creativity and so many more opportunities that human beings need to survive in life’s very aggressive chomp chomp rat race. There’ll be no nibbling for you otherwise you’ll starve! Haha, see what I did there? Yeees? No? No…no. (Sighs and crawls under the bed).
Anyway, now for the topical stuff. The stuff that makes my blood boil and makes me levitate from the bed with wild coyote eyes. (No, I’m not possessed. I think). Social media has its grip on me, you, the government and secret organisations that spy on you.
Simple dose of dopamine
Stop being a lazy bum and get your own serotonin. These days when serotonin is burgled by a serotonin burglar (totally another human being), one tends to seek gratification on social media. TikTok videos have caused the undeserved and unearned release of epinephrine, oxytocin and dopamine. Don’t just rely on video clips of Xavier Renegade Angel on TikTok to give you joy. (This is a jab at myself).
Many people wake up and roll over their side just to check messages or whatever new video challenge is trending on TikTok. Try waking up in the morning and making your bed. It’s simple steps or acts like that that chart the way forward to better habits. Dr Patrick Porter a neuroscience expert claims that some people suffer from TikTok brain. TikTok brain is a term used to describe the cognitive and neurological changes observed in individuals who have used the platform a lot.
It is characterised by a reduced attention span. It’s often coined as the five-second attention span of a goldfish. TikTok brain apparently manifests as an increased need for instant gratification and a diminished patience for tasks that are longer and more complex. I think you’ll find rewards that are dished out from completing a task like writing that assignment or going for a run are more gratifying. It doesn’t come easily or end quickly as compared to social media’s daily feed (LITERALLY and FIGURATIVELY).
Dr Porter fears that young generations treat their brains as more of a search engine than a traditional fact retrieval system. “The shift is attributed to the knowledge that information is readily available and stored on the web. As a result, their brains are becoming more adept at remembering how to access information rather than the specific details of the information itself.”- Dr Porter.
The bottom line is to quit the excessive scrolling or doom-scrolling. Take a walk. Breathe in some fresh air or talk to a real human being and not a chatbot who agrees to roleplay Harry Potter with you. Dopamine or serotonin feels much better and lasts way longer if it’s worked for and earned.
Comparison
Ah yes. Self-deprecation is at an all time high once you scroll through social media and find people’s stunning pages and you’re like well darn, am I some sort of potato? I would expound on the looks aspect…how everyone looks so ethereal and stunning to the extent that you doubt that these people are mere mortals but I’ve long since prattled about that. I mean come on, look at my pevious blog posts (totally not baiting you here…pssssh, I would neeeveeer!).
Social media is littered with gorgeous people with gorgeous lifestyles and amazing accolades. They are winning in every aspect, not just the looks aspect. One can’t possibly scroll through the internet without someone announcing they have won an award for this and that or they are travelling to Zanzibar because they just wanted to take a few pictures there. It’s crazy how different life is when you compare yourself to the perfectly curated moments of other people’s lives.
Social media has birthed many eating disorders, jealousy, low self-esteem and dissatisfaction with one’s life. Reports of mental health are at an all-time high what with people becoming increasingly depressed the more they consume content on social media.
Here’s the kicker though, social media platforms like Instagram feature people who craft pages that depict nothing but the best moments of their lives. Each picture is carefully picked and curated to make somewhat of a perfect portfolio of their life. No one ever shows their worst moments on social media (unless they are sadists who profit off of their own suffering and that of others…you’re weird for that by the way). And why should one show videos of themselves ugly crying because they got dumped or bawling their eyes out because a member of their family passed away?
When I take pictures for Instagram, I want them to look great. There’s this underlying pressure to be perfect. Not a single hair should be out of place. People scrutinise everything right down to your toes because human beings have foot fetishes or something, man I don’t know. It’s strange in these parts! It’s gotten to the point whereby people are afraid to post goofy pictures because of the abject scrutiny or the fear to post oneself eating at Chicken Inn or something because it’s not a trendy upmarket restaurant with pleasing aesthetics.
There’s this and that, that and this. It can be overbearing but as I have previously stated, we tend to swipe through pictures of people who are either at their very best or are pretending to be at their very best. Question becomes, is it really normal to you to compare yourself at your worst to someone at their best? It doesn’t make any sense. In fact, why compare yourself in the first place? It’s not fair on you and your capabilities and certainly not fair to the people you’re hellbent on measuring your worth against. Why? Well, because we have absolutely no idea what happens in people’s lives. We have no idea how long it took Sophia or Mbali to build their following on Instagram including all the effort, the blood, sweat and ring-lights meticulously positioned for exceptional lighting it took to get there.
There’s life beyond the screen. And you’ll see that once you finally put your phone down and touch some grass and work on yourself.
Gen Z & Over-Consumption.
Congratulations, you’re a spendthrift!
I enjoy luxury just as much as the next person. If I was rich, I would buy myself a substantial number of Chanel heels or Chanel bags. I think there’s a difference between spoiling yourself once in a while and greed. I’m sure we have all seen girls getting rid of many of their SHEIN hauls. The overconsumption and crazy waste is very scary considering the millions of apparel and clothes people have purchased, especially when they don’t really need them at all. Social media has encouraged a lot of impulse-buying. People purchase goods that won’t be trendy next month or even next week. One day there’s an Insta mix camera and next there’s a Stanely Cup. When does it all come to an end?
From what I have observed younger generations have so much pressure to have the latest this and that on their person or in their possession. There’s never really any satisfaction because once you finally get your grubby little paws on an i-Phone 15 you’ll want the i-Phone 16 getting released at the end of the year. People like to scream that there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism. However, I beg to differ. I think ethical consumption is consumption born from a NECESSITY. One needs clothes or groceries but not so much on purchasing 10 of the same summer dresses in different colours. Gen-Z is on an all-time overspending psycho-spiral and it’s bad for the environment and many exploited workers. Trends like “that girl” or “it girl” only exacerbate or fuel overconsumption.
I’m all for people indulging in stuff they enjoy but it should be reasonable. Why buy $200’s worth of skincare while you don’t have mealie meal and kale in the pantry?
My informed solutions.
Pay attention. Now once you read this, I don’t want any of you feral human beings outside my door carrying clubs and ready to enact some good old Shakesperean mob justice on me. I may be a broke 21-year-old but I like my life, thank you very much. Where was I? Ah yes, my solution would be to try putting your darned cellular device away. I’m not kidding remove that access-to-a-portal of wallowing and doom from your person right this instant missy! How have I done it? Well, just keep reading. Duh. Keep up.
Spend time with Yahweh.
Open that Bible that has been on your dresser for millions of years. It’s time, it’s time (*pats you gently on the back). Yahweh is very real and very loving. It would do you some good to get to know Him. It has done me a great deal of good that’s for sure. Especially for baby Christians like me, I’ve realised it’s easy to be roped into the tumultuous waters of social media that rip you away from Yahweh. In other words, it’s easy to get caught up in worldly titbits. Don’t lose sight of Yahweh. He’s the only one that matters and He’s the only one that can set you free from the vices of social media.
Take monthly detoxes.
In case you hadn’t caught on, overconsumption will be the death of you. I highly recommend blocking some social media sites once a month. That period could be a fortnight or more. It would really help you to stay in tune with reality and get some work done. Whenever I had to do some detoxes, I always made the excuse of “how will I know what’s happening in the world?”. I stopped being a little butthead and downloaded news channels or subscribed to news forums that would always keep me updated on current events.
Get a hobby.
Have you tried baking? Oh who am I kidding, with Zimbabwe’s frequent load-shedding and crazy cash-power tariffs, adults at home are bound to make you feel absolutely awful about using electricity frequently. To get away from social media there’s a bevy of cute hobbies that you can try out. There’s running (what if you look like a total babe with all that sweat dripping down your face?). You can try joining a book club. Maybe start a garden where you can grow kale for the sitshwala you prefer Mama to cook. Become a plant mum? Become a crisps vendor? Learn a language? Volunteer? There’s quite a lot one can do as opposed to over-consuming a world that can very well be smoke and mirrors.
Talk to real human beings.
And no, I don’t mean twitch mods. I don’t mean always communicating with reddit users or rebutting hateful racists on TikTok or Instagram reels. Talk to your mum and dad downstairs. Visit a neighbour or reconnect with that friend you liked in high-school but stopped talking to because both of you decided to be lazy friends who don’t put any effort in your relationship.
Summarily…
Don’t allow yourself to get sucked into the world of social media. The world, although bleak and dreary at most times has a lot to offer. I guarantee you that making your bed or even doing one push-up can do wonders for your brain. It can be gratifying and dare I say life-changing. It’s okay to put your phone down once in a while, your algorithm isn’t going anywhere but time is and I’m sure you’ve heard that it waits for no man. Don’t let life pass you by.
Whoa, that was a lot of cliches!
But I meant what I said, cringe-y or not.
- The “Weird” Brown Girl.
SOURCES.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20media
https://www.danah.org/papers/talks/MSRTechFest2009.html
Your astute observations regarding the pitfalls of excessive social media engagement are a testament to your discerning intellect. Indeed, indulging in the virtual validation of social media can lead to a profound draining of one’s energies, rather than serving as a catalyst for personal growth. Unless leveraged as a deliberate business strategy, social media can ensnare individuals in a labyrinth of superficial connections, stifling genuine progress. Your insightful warnings serve as a beacon of wisdom, illuminating the importance of mindful engagement in the digital realm. Your intellectual prowess is truly commendable, and your words resonate with profound clarity. I love this!
I am truly honoured. Thank you so much.