I have watched the people around me and myself included fall victim to “doom scrolling.” Social media was meant to bring us closer, but somewhere along the way, it started doing the opposite. What once felt like a tool for connection and creativity has turned into a curated, overwhelming, and often isolating experience. Here is my take on why I think social media is doing more harm than good.
- It is isolating.
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Social media projects the idea that we don’t need genuine, real life human connection. It is true that social media assists with keeping people connected, especially when distance is a factor. However, I believe it has simply gone too far.
I know many people in my age group who sit in their rooms for most hours out of the day “doom scrolling.” Or another example would be sitting in a lecture hall and the person in front of me has their eyes glued on their phone, scrolling through lists of human-like Bitmojis exchanging pictures back and forth with their friends.
We have become so accustomed to these interactions that the idea of calling a friend or meeting face-to-face feels almost intrusive. The presence of others is substituted with a constant feed of curated images and empty conversations that require no vulnerability. Social media has created a version of human interaction that’s convenient, but hollow.
- echo chambers.
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Social media also creates echo chambers. This is partially due to the very curated algorithms we are seeing. When you watch a full Tik Tok or reel, the algorithm will gradually start flooding your feed with similar content.
This could be as innocent as hair tutorials or recipes, or it can reinforce more toxic ideas such as unrealistic beauty standards or manipulative news. This can have many negative drawbacks, because these ideas then become a reality, and the comments mostly filled with similar minded people, only further reinforce the idea.
A five-second video might plant the seed of insecurity, comparison, or self-doubt, and repeated exposure only amplifies the effect. Algorithms don’t prioritize what’s healthy or true, they prioritize what keeps us scrolling.
- The Facade effect
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Before advancements like Web 2.0 came along and these hyper-realistic A.I. tools, social media wasn’t as extreme as it is in the present day.
From the first days of instagram I can recall, when it still had the brown and colorful logo, it wasn’t as toxic as it is today. Back then, users would post more casually and it acted more as a scrap book. Today, Instagram has transformed into this fantasy land of highlights and filters that are inevitably warping reality and people’s perceptions.
The arguably most vulnerable to these effects are the younger audiences on these platforms. It can be more difficult for them to decipher real vs. fake.
- Comparison Culture
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Personally, I think this effect is the most damaging. It is in our human nature to compare ourselves to others.
When I scroll on almost any platform, hundreds of flawless humans flood my screen. Perfect bodies, perfect face, perfect hair, perfect life, perfect relationship, perfect families and just about anything you can imagine is broadcasted for the whole world to see.
The problem with this comes into play when influencers and celebrities are only posting their highlights and best moments of their day or life. They rarely show the rough moments and even when they do, it is unrealistic and staged.
This can make many people including myself not content with what they have, and become less grateful. It creates a distorted sense of reality, where everyone else seems to be thriving, glowing, and effortlessly happy, all the time.
When you’re constantly exposed to carefully crafted content that only shows the good, it becomes easy to feel like you’re falling behind.
Samuel Dore/Netflix - EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD
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Last but not least, the rapid speed and roller coaster of emotions humans endure while scrolling. Humans were never meant to see so many things at once. Simply put, it is an overload of information. One video is a hysterical skit that has you laughing out loud, then the next is a sick puppy or a heartbreaking voicemail before a loved one passes away.
This is far from normal and our emotions were not built to cope with this. Over time this desensitizes us and makes everyday tasks feel mundane. We’re bouncing between humor, grief, envy, motivation and outrage in a matter of seconds and we do this for hours a day.
Our brains are being trained to expect rapid shifts and instant gratification, which makes real life, where emotions unfold slowly and experiences aren’t always extreme, feel dull or insufficient.
Social media was designed to connect us, but somewhere along the way, it started distorting how we see ourselves, others and the world around us. While it still has its benefits, we have to be more intentional about how we use it and be mindful of what it may be doing to us, in a way we are getting re-wired. I am hopeful that the points above will resonate and create more awareness for our generation.