Three Steps to Overcome Social Media Addiction

The Internet and social media are here to stay, at least for the immediate future.  And not everything about them is bad.  Communication via the Internet and social media can be very helpful in times of crisis.  And what parent doesn’t want to keep up with his or her children and grandchildren, if they don’t live close by?   But there are significant downsides to these new technologies and platforms, so here are some suggestions on how to respond to the dangers. 

#1: Recognize there is a problem 

The reality is, there are companies and individuals who set out to enslave you. That slavery may not involve chains, but they want you tied to an electronic device and “plugged in” to their system as often as possible. Sean Parker was the creator of the popular music sharing platform Napster and was also a key player in the commercial success of Facebook. As he now admits, the founding philosophy behind Facebook was:  

The thought process that went into building these processes, Facebook being the first of them . . .  was all about: ‘how do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible, (www.biography.com/people/sean-parker-20906371) 

Evan Williams is another giant in social media. He’s a co-creator of Blogger and a Twitter founder, and at one time was its largest stockholder – no small credentials. He summarized a major downside of social media this way: 

Say you’re driving down the road and see a car crash. Of course you look. Everyone looks. The internet interprets behavior like this to mean everyone is asking for car crashes, so it tries to supply them.” www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/technology/evan-williams-medium-twitter-internet.html 

The Internet, social media, and smart phones consume a lot of our time, but social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and others affect the WAY we ingest information and the way we communicate.  Don’t sluff off the dangers.    

Next,  

#2: Determine if YOU have a problem 

Addiction is sometimes an elusive term, but clearly, millions, if not billions, don’t control their time and emotions on social media.  It controls them!  For most people, a little honest introspection should be telling, but most people live in denial, just as an alcoholic lives in denial.  While some may scoff at the comparison of Social Media and alcohol, note that I am not the first to make this comparison. 

In a paper that will soon be published in the journal Psychological Science, a team of researchers from Chicago University’s Booth Business School, led by Wilhelm Hofmann, has found that Facebook and social media websites may be as additive as alcohol or cigarettes. (http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/is-social-media-harming-our-mental-health-researchers-wonder) 

Finally, number 3: 

#3: Tame the beast! 

There are common sense ways to take charge of your life.  If you find you can’t follow any of them, maybe Silicon Valley is in control.   Here are a few suggestions, and we might want to add television along with the Internet:    

• Mealtime should be time out from social media and tech devices – put them away! 
• Set time limits for each day and stick with them 
• Keep a log of every minute you spend on social media 
• Never text, Twitter, or view your Facebook when visiting with others – it’s rude! 
• Never, never, text while driving! 
• Call time out one day a week 
• Call time out when fishing or playing golf  

These are a few common-sense suggestions to take control of your life.    

My friends, consider seriously your relationship to these technologies and platforms.  Question how much time you spend on them.  Question what kind of discourse you exhibit.  Are you courteous?  Are you vulgar, rude, or disrespectful?  Just because it’s out there, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.   

If you want a more in depth look at some of the dangers of social media, including more revelations directly from industry insiders, watch our full-length program “The Dangers of Social Media” by clicking on the link in the description.