By now I’m sure most of you have heard of the documentary, The Social Dilemma, on Netflix. If you haven’t watched it yet, then it’s one that you want to watch because everyone has been talking about it. I decided to see what the fuss was all about and watched it over the weekend.
Now, while I completely support the notion that social media does have an impact on mental health and it can be quite annoying when you meet people and instead of talking to you, they’re getting distracted on their phones, I don’t know if you can blame social media entirely for that. Here’s why.
You have the ability to switch off your notifications. In the documentary, they show a kid getting a notification on his phone when there’s an activity, but in reality, you are able to turn these notifications off. I personally have always switched off my notifications. Therefore, it gives me that control of saying, I don’t want to check you (the app) when you want me to, I’ll open it when I want to. The power lies with me.
While people may follow accounts that can impact their mental health, make people compare their lives, there are also those accounts that spread good news, positive quotes, motivations, teach people the power of meditating and clearing the clutter. It is up to YOU to decide what accounts you want to follow. Unfollow the ones that make you feel bad about yourself.
The documentary also spoke about how the apps want you to be addicted to them so that you can never put down your device or when you open up your laptop you just want to go check your Facebook page. There are many things that are considered bad addictions. Drugs, alcohol, or smoking for instance, but when someone gets addicted, is your first thought to blame what they’re addicted to or to think about why once didn’t have the will power to not get addicted? It’s just something to think about.
Fake news was another topic that was covered but here again, my thoughts are that these tools were never intended to be used for news. If you see an article or information about something on social media, it is up to you to do your due diligence and check whether that’s actually true or not. There are news sites, channels, and even social media pages (BBC or Sky News) where you can do this. In some ways it’s almost like hearing a rumour but through social media and believing it instantly. Would you believe every rumour you hear?
During the pandemic, social media has allowed a lot of people to support one another in uncertain times, it’s allowed small businesses to get noticed and flourish, people are sharing things from recipes to coping methods, it’s given a voice to minorities and yes while there is fake news floating about it has helped in highlighting certain global issues. Last but not the least, it has enabled people to connect with loved ones. I feel that yes, while there are things to address, it’s also important to look at the other side of the coin.
Now I know a lot of people will be thinking, well obviously Resham will support the use of social media given what I do for a living, but not a lot of people know that I don’t actually check social media first thing in the morning. I have a morning routine that means I’m not checking social media until I have had my cup of warm water or tea and have spent 15 minutes doing my gratitude and affirmations. Once I get into bed, I don’t check social media, I watch some TV and then read a book. I also monitor how much time I spend on social media apps.
So yes, while social media does have a negative impact, I do believe it is how you use it that determines whether it’s a good force for you or not. I’m not saying that it’s all good, by no means. In fact, it really bugs me that I can’t opt out of ads at times on my Instagram, however, I acknowledge what it’s all about and find a way to ensure that I don’t let an app run my life. It’s about having that willpower to put my phone down and not scroll through Instagram first thing in the morning.
The documentary does a good job of addressing and educating everyone on social media addiction and that it is having an impact on teens and people everywhere really. That’s what I’ve taken from it. It is definitely worth seeing so that you are aware and maybe start monitoring your social media usage. It’s always good to know what’s going on and understand how you can turn something around.
Ultimately, it is about you. You can decide to enjoy your cup of tea with a good book or by scrolling through social media, but it’s a decision you’re making, not the app. Too much of anything is bad whether it’s too much social media, too much TV, too much alcohol, so in my eyes, it’s all about balance. And if you are a content creator or influencer, then just remember to be real and understand that what you create online can have an impact offline, so let it be a positive one.
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