Social media is a place where we all have been on at some point in our lives, whether it be TikTok to Instagram, Facebook to X or even Snapchat. We all like to see what our friends and family are up to, but also what is going on in the world.
But the bigger picture right now is that as humans, our attention spans have gotten a lot shorter. With each and every day, we slowly get less and less patient and more glued to our screens.
TikTok from my experience is definitely the main culprit. Some of us are so hooked to that short instant dopamine rush of a scroll that we can barely stomach watching a minute long video. Overall, social media is affecting our mental health.
Now yes, one can argue that social media does have its benefits. But in general, I have learned that social media has grown to be more toxic, draining and persuasive. It just drags us into this never ending cycle of scrolling and can also distract us from our work or hobbies that we do on a daily basis.
To start out, let’s talk about the scrolling apps, like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Certainly, you are no stranger to these apps but if you are, these apps are all about short-form content. Rapid fire information and the video concludes in about a minute or less.
Just so I don’t sound hypocritical, I once did and even still do occasionally scroll on TikTok. But back when I first downloaded it, I was spending hours a day on the app. As time went on I began to realize how much of a waste this was.
I began to procrastinate assignments in favor of scrolling on TikTok. It would keep me up way past the time I told myself I was going to go to bed. This would stress me out big time.
I have recently viewed TikTok as a huge time waster. Half of the time as we’re scrolling, we don’t even remember the past videos we watched. This is all because we just want more rapid videos and entertainment to satisfy our needs. It made me feel miserable seeing how much time I spent on my phone everyday of the week.
What we see online can easily influence us to think in some way rather than what we would normally think. For example, if you see something sad online with emotional music over it, that video is probably going to make you feel upset.
Social media in general always has the latest news about all the chaos that is unfolding around the world. I love the saying, “The less I know the better,” because some of the real world headlines I see on social media are brutal.
TikTok and other social media such as X and Instagram, really hurt my mental health. The way these apps grab your attention, along with the content they provide, really mess with your mind and emotions.
Seeing that I used part of the day on mindless entertainment really made me realize how much more work I could be getting done. I have set screetime limits on most of my apps, but now have finally mustered up the courage to delete these apps.
I recommend that you stay away from any forms of social media and technology for the first couple hours of your day. This way your mind is clear to start out your day.
We should chase real dopamine, such as chasing our goals, getting food with friends or even just a simple walk out in nature. Take some time today away from social media and talk to your close ones, or even spend some time outside.
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