“This is the great irony of social media: the more you immerse yourself in it, the more lonely and depressed you become.” — [@haidtAnxiousGenerationHow2024]
“The phone-based life makes it difficult for people to be fully present with others when they are with others, and to sit silently with themselves when they are alone.” — [@haidtAnxiousGenerationHow2024]
頭號時間殺手/小偷 (No.1 Timer Killer/Thief) 🪬
社群媒體並無法消除寂寞感，只會再疊加一層焦慮感。
Social media content, which offers a quick, easily accessible way that makes you happy or, even if it doesn’t make you happy, offers an escape from the thing that makes you unhappy.
Frequent scrolling and swiping behaviors can hinder/inhibit our ability to deeply focus and gradually shorten our attention spans. As our brains are flooded with an overwhelming stream of information, cognitive energy and mental resources become depleted, leaving us less capable of producing meaningful and tangible outputs.
Unless you’re making money from social media, delete them
“Social media should be used as a platform to share your efforts (show your work) with the world, not as a place to mindlessly spend your time. The key is realizing that the flow needs to go from the real world into the digital space, not the other way around. Those who understand this will be the ones who succeed in life, almost guaranteed, barring some accident or injury. It’s that simple.” — Andrew Huberman
Instead of passively scrolling, engage with content by leaving thoughtful comments, asking questions, or joining conversations. Shift from passive consumption to active participation.
Set boundaries for social media usage ⇨ helpful for taming/calming the monkey mind
Don’t take content recommendations from algorithms ⇨ get your recommendations from people you follow who’ve earned your trust
Unfollow celebrities/influencers/brands
Mute everyone online who doesn’t do at least one of the following:
- Teach you something new
- Make you laugh
- Want to see them in the next 6 months
Social media is a judgmental place
The goal of social media is to make every problem, your problem.
Not all photos/videos need to be shared. It’s the memories that count.
The Paradox of Connectedness/Social Media
- More connected, less connected.
- cPhones and digital distractions have amplified this issue. We can be in the same room with others physically, but still feel completely disconnected.
- Social media has created more connectedness than ever before—a constant dopamine drip.
- We have more connectedness, but we feel less connected to those around us.
- Social media is as addictive as drugs 1 designed to make you wish you were somewhere else, doing something else, with someone else.
- We all need to put down the phone and spend time connecting with people in person/real life.
What you see on social media is just the highlight/second reality (not full story) of people’s life
We are always seeking social acceptance and approval
Your attention should be focused on yourself and the people you love because that’s all the validation you need; you have no reason to care about what other people are doing
Avoid unconsciously scrolling on social media without any intentions (aka Doomscrolling)
- Set an intention to view social media as simply an idealized highlight reel with something engaging and entertaining, but really not a reflection of real life
If you were to reduce screen time—especially social media—by just one hour per day for the next 40 years, that’s 15,000 hours of your life.
- Enough time to become a master at nearly anything.
- Enough time to build a thriving business.
- Enough time to make hundreds of memories with your loved ones.
See also:
Footnotes
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(1) Excessive social media use is comparable to drug (毒品) addiction (2) The best things in life are happening away from screens. Phone addiction is a silent epidemic. ↩