The appeal of social media in humans

Everyone loves to take the gifts Earth has given us. We all love swimming in the crystal blue ocean, taking hikes up beautful nature coated mountain sides, having picnics in soft green grassy fields, and so much more. Every single day before I started writing this blog I took the most basic privilege for granted: to be a human being on planet Earth. If you are reading this you must also have this incredible privilege. We are on the top of the food chain on the best planet in the entire galaxy. Do we appreciate this gift and demonstrate our gratitude to the planet? No, mankind cuts down forests in a process called deforestation, constantly burns toxins into our atmosphere, produces unprecedented amounts of trash, and so much more.Let’s take a deeper look.

The two most detrimental human actions to the environment are cutting down and altering ecosystems, and burning fossil fuels which releases carbon dioxide into our atmosphere (Bain). There is some good news and bad news about these problems. Good news first? Sure. We can take action to find alternative solutions and stop doing these things. It would take a united effort, but it is very possible. The bad news is twofold: first, our planet’s health is way down on our list of problems. We have scientists proving the effects of climate change, and governments across the globe do not take much action. Second, we are running out of time. If change is going to come, it needs to be now, with the group of people that are currently inhabiting this world. We are alive at a make or break time for the future of this planet. Already it is being predicted by scientists that within the decade we may loose Miami and Bangladesh because of constantly rising water (Wallace-Wells). As the atmosphere heats up due our constant burning of fossil fuels, ice melts and sea level rises.

Ultimately what is happening to our planet is we are using too much and not giving anything back. We destroy ecosystems so we can have more land, but destroy the homes of animals and deplete our source of oxygen simultaneously. We burn fossil fuels because it powers factories and cars, but ignore the fact that it is destroying our atmosphere. We act is if our decisions have no consequences, which could not be farther from the truth. The time to make a change really is right now because if we keep pushing change down the road eventually we will have missed the boat. It is a scary reality but there is hope. I will be focusing on what can be done to really make a change in future posts. For now, think twice about whether that plastic cup really belongs in trash  instead of recycling.

Picture Sources:

Deforestation: A Few Solutions That Can Change The Future

https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/articles/our-360-approach-to-stopping-rainforest-destruction

 

Work Cited:

https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/earth/ask-a-scientist-about-our-environment/what-is-the-most-harmful-human-action-to-earth

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/07/climate-change-earth-too-hot-for-humans.html

One of the most evident patterns I have been able to identify over the past few weeks of writing these blogs is how our emotions and mood are so heavily affected by the posts of others online. We let our entire mood be determined by what others post, even though the actual events of our day are not altered in any way. Other people posting is an outside event which has no effect on your life, however it is still able to reach us on such a deep level. We feel excluded, lame, jealous, inspired, depressed, and other emotions all in response to someone else posting something about their lives. We are humans and this is not our fault. We naturally compare ourselves to others and have to train ourselves not to do this. People only post the best pictures of themselves in the best situations, so comparing your entire life to these select moments is unrealistic and unhealthy. I want to include a post about why we shouldn’t let social media have much of an effect on our emotions. This post will show you why you need to look at social media through a lens. It is not a depiction of reality, rather an enhanced version.

First we need to understand what types of things people post on social media. It can be a source of incredible creativity and expression which deserves appreciation. Conversely it is also a source of bragging, deceit, enhancement, and exaggeration. People use social media to paint the best picture of themselves possible. To create the most appealing online identity. We choose to post the pictures that we look the best in, in a setting that looks the most impressive, with our nicest belongings very noticeable. This makes sense because if you’re going to post a picture for hundreds and possibly thousands of people to see you’re going to want it to be as impressive as possible. So keeping this all in mind, look at social media through a lens that what you are seeing is a glorified portrayal of that person’s reality. Do not compare yourself to that person, simply appreciate that that moment in time is completely independent from your own life. Double tap and keep scrolling.

Another important thing to consider while you are on social media is to never compare your physical appearance to what you see on your screen. Instagram models, both male and female, make money for their posts. They need to constantly be in incredible shape and make sure every picture is up to par. The reason social media creates so many body image problems is because many models’ pictures have been airbrushed and photoshopped to make their face and body look even better. It is so important for your health and mind to understand that you are looking at someone with professional makeup who stays in incredible shape because it is their job to do so and look like that. It is not a presentation of what real humans look like. These people make money off their appearance so they have no choice but to look as good as they possibly can.

The goal in creating this post was to show my viewers why they need to look at social media through a lens. What you are seeing these apps is not a depiction of real life, it is the best of the best moments hand selected to be shown off. Don’t compare yourself to what you see, everyone is beautiful in their own ways and social media clearly only pays attention to certain characteristics. Find confidence in not feeling the need to show off or brag about anything. Use social media how you want to and do not let others influence your life on such insignificant matters that you will surely forget about in an hour.

Picture Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/models-are-so-thin-magazines-have-to-photoshop-them-fatter-2013-12

 

Hypocrisy is a very present theme in our society. There is a clear divide between what we promote in our society as important, and what actually receives recognition and attention on social media. People share messages and  ideas about how to live your life, but these ideas are not rewarded in our society as much as others. As a child we are taught about the importance of humility and kindness, and as we grow up these values loose their place in our day to day lives. Girls are raised being taught that the most important things in life are for them to be strong, independent, smart, strong willed, and to express their beliefs to the world. However our society seems to reward other, more superficial characteristics more than any of these core values. In this post I hope to explore the world of hypocrisy that social media demonstrates and magnifies.

Humility is a theme that is taught to us as soon as we are able to understand language. We learn in stories and from our parents to be grateful for what we have and modest about how we own it. However, on social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, these principles go out the door. It is demonstrated through likes, shares, and comments, that people pay attention when you post something impressive. People post pictures of themselves in their nicest clothes with their nicest accessories at the nicest places they go to. They are rewarded with attention when doing so. Social media is a place where you can show your followers a specific version of yourself. This is called your online identity. By posting lavish and impressive materialistic things in your pictures, you can create an interesting and highly supported online identity. This demonstrates a core value we are taught that our society does not reward.

Picture demonstrating how we go out of our way for attention

Another hypocrisy which is exposed by social media is the difference between how women are raised to act, and what our society gives them attention for. Most females are brought up being taught that their mind is more important than anything else. They are taught to be strong willed, not to compare themselves physically to anyone else, and to make decisions independently. Strong happy women are typically composed of these characteristics. However, on social media we see that these are the not things that get rewarded. A women who posts her thoughts and ideas receives considerably less attention than a women who chooses to post a picture of her body. There is nothing wrong with either of these two types of posts. The problem is the difference in attention that they get. If we teach our girls that smartness and independence are the most important traits for a woman to have, why is it that an attractive picture of a girl’s body gets ten times more likes than anything else?

My intention in this post is just to prove how sometimes it seems the wrong things are rewarded on social media, and it is important to realize this. It is important to continuously hold your values close in your heart and not change who you are for social media attention. Social media clearly demonstrates some of the greatest hypocrisies in our world. We preach certain values, and then go and reward other contradictory values. It is not easy to see this unfairness and hypocrisy. I wanted to share my thoughts on it so that next time you use social media, you realize that the most important human values are not being demonstrated to you as you scroll further and further.

Picture Sources:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoodyfeed.com%2Fa-study-shows-that-people-who-chase-likes-in-social-media-are-insecure%2F&psig=AOvVaw1LD5yf7Tf3QL090tyou37O&ust=1604799349579000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJit68yl7-wCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK

https://www.bannerview.com/blog/staff/BOSVIEW/How-to-Attract-Attention-with-Social-Media/

As technology wires its way deeper and deeper into our society it becomes more powerful. Machines and devices grow smarter and are able to do more with everyday that passes us. We rely on our phones and computers for so many everyday activities without realizing what these devices are using us for in turn. Since this blog focuses on social media addiction, I felt that it was fitting to include a post discussing the information we give out about ourselves and where this information goes. This should be an enlightening post about internet privacy, which will surprise you and teach you a lot about how to protect your privacy when enjoying the use of social media and the internet.

Nothing in life is free. It may be free to download an app like instagram, however you actually are paying something. Something that can be a lot more valuable than money. What you are providing these apps with is information about yourself. Information like what kind of shoes you like, how much time you spend on certain pages, when you use social media and when you don’t, and many other tendencies that you are probably unaware are being stored and used against you. Humans unknowingly share so much about themselves through the use of social media. I you think about it, on an app like Instagram, a user likes pictures of things they want to see more of. They provide information all about themselves, which is perfect for companies to use. Just by observing your online habits for a week they know what to advertise to you and what not to, as well as when you are most likely going to view their add. This information is incredibly valuable because it is an absolute advantage to know your audience before advertising to them. No wonder social media apps are free, you are paying with something way more valuable than money; the deepest inside into who you really are. It was estimated that in 2018 companies spent over 19 billion dollars acquiring  and then analyzing people’s data (Matsakis, 2019). no wonder these apps are free!

Let’s explore what a personalized social media app such as Instagram or Tiktok uses you for. Information such as your geolocation data, pictures you are in and tagged in, facial recognition data, transactional data,  time of use,   liked pictures, and many other things are saved and potentially later used by companies to learn about you (Online Security, 2018). Anyone would be concerned and creeped out if someone followed them around learning about their lifestyle and then reporting back to another source. This is essentially what is happening online except all the learning and data collection is done behind the scenes so you are less likely to resist. In an ever-changing world it is important to stay informed about what is going on around you to stay safe and maintain your individuality. Next time you scroll through social media or post something, remember that your data is not actually only seen by your followers, but by many more eyes that want to learn about your habits to market to you. Stay safe and vigilant, our world is changing rapidly and you need to change with it!

 

 

Sources Used:

Matsakis, Louise. “The Wired Guide to Your Personal Data (and Who Is Using It).” UCLA IT Services, 31 July 2019, www.it.ucla.edu/security/cybersafebruin/wired-guide-your-personal-data-and-who-using-it.

Online Security. “What You Need To Know About Instagram’s Privacy Policy.” Identity Guard, www.identityguard.com/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-instagrams-privacy-policy.

 

Picture Sources:

https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/going-off-the-data-collection-grid

data collection

Just like anything in life, after you have identified a problem, the next step is to take steps towards fixing it. One of the most common problems humans face is addiction. Addiction is when someone becomes dependent on an external substance or device. The reason addiction can become so detrimental is because it requires a person to willingly stop using something that they depend on for relief and dopamine release. It is hard to quit using something that makes you feel better every time you use it. Social media addiction is no exception. People become very addicted to social media, and because it is so common in our society, no one feels that they need to limit their use. However, as we have seen in this blog, there are definitely harmful effects such as FOMO, and anxiety that come from excessive social media use. This post will discuss how to reduce social media use in order to to attain a healthier lifestyle.

The first piece of advice I have was discussed in last week’s post. Using screen time to see how much time you are actually spending on social media apps is a great way to limit yourself. Screen time forces people to observe how much time they are wasting on their phones. As I found from my own research last week the average person at Penn State spends about 8 hours on their phone give or take a few hours. I bet that if most people realized this they would take steps to reduce this time.

Another strategy I found was to do a social media detox.  This is essentially taking a break from social media for a set amount of time. This allows your brain to focus on other more important things that are occurring in the real world in front of you (Stanford). It makes this time even more valuable if you spend your detox working on improving yourself by developing a new skill with this freed up time you are spending off your phone.

The most effective strategy I came across in my research was to set limits when you use social media. Something as simple as saying no social media use after a certain time, or not using social on specific days, can really help someone get their usage under control (Stanford). By doing this you are allowing your mind some time to reflect on real life instead of immediately tuning into social media when you are bored. You are also becoming more conscious of your dependance when you take some time purposefully stepping away from it. In addition to these strategies, turning off social media notifications makes it so you aren’t compelled to check these apps every time a notification pops up. These are all easy, effortless ways to get social media addiction under control. I will be trying a few of these tips in the coming weeks to test their effectiveness and get my addiction under control.

Picture sources:

https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/average-daily-time-on-social-media

Social Media Detox

https://medium.com/swlh/the-secret-design-tools-which-social-media-apps-are-using-to-create-addiction-e6a502ccb79f

Reference list:

Stanford, Tomas. “7 Proven Ways to Spend Less Time on Social Media and More Time in the Real World.” Saint Belford, Sept. 2018, www.saintbelford.com.au/blogs/blog/7-proven-ways-to-spend-less-time-on-social-media-and-more-time-in-the-real-world.

So far in this blog I have been reliant on the internet to give me all my information about social media, its effects, and the way people abuse it. Reading online articles and relying on other people’s research is good for general information on a topic, but I wanted to know specifically how other people my age, 18-25, use social media. To learn more about how social media affects the lives of my peers and fellow Penn State students, I decided to ask around this week about other people’s social media habits and how they use their phone.

 

So to start a conversation, I approached some friends, and some new faces to get diverse and inclusive data from the environment around me. To start I asked about people’s screen time. What I found from this was very surprising to be honest. A few people I interviewed had screen times over 10 hours! Most common however was anywhere in the range of 7.5-9 hours. Then the second most common time range was 6-7 hours. The lowest screen time I came across was 5 hours and 36 minutes. My personal screen time was 8 hours and 15 minutes… a shocking awakening. So assuming that the average  person sleeps for 8 hours a day, that means they spend about 16 hours awake. According to the data I collected, most people my age are on their phones for about 8.5 hours a day. This is incredible to me. We spend more than half the time we are awake fixated on our phones. We literally have access to the entire world in our pockets, and it is easy to lose track of time scrolling or watching. I encourage my readers to stop right now, and check your screen time. Chances are you will be surprised in a bad way. Most people I interviewed were also shocked. This is ok though, you can’t make a change unless you identify the problem first.

 

After asking about screen time, I asked about what apps people spend the most time on and why. I got pretty consistent answers on this one. Snapchat  and Instagram were interchangeably the two most used apps for almost everyone I asked. This makes sense to me and as people explained it is the main way people stay in contact with each other. Other social media apps like Tiktok were also named high up in the rankings because it is an entertaining distraction from reality. The only other apps that people really named were apps used for school, shopping, gaming, and Safari to search on the internet. This interviewing process made me and my peers more aware of our habits. It also gave me a more specific view of what kinds of apps people around our age tended to use. Checking screen time is a great way to manage how time you spend on your phone, and realize any changes you may need to make.

Picture Sources:

Unlocking mobile revenue and audience: New ideas and best practices

https://www.fishbowlapp.com/post/whats-your-average-screen-time-on-your-phone

When someone becomes addicted to cigarettes, they can get serious lung damage. When someone becomes addicted to alcohol, they become more distant and their immune system is seriously weakened putting them at much higher risks to become sick. When someone becomes addicted to social media they don’t stand out, but rather it makes them fit in. Social media addiction isn’t like being addicted to a drug. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, there is no negative stigma around excessively using social media for pleasure. So many people are addicted to it at this point that you don’t stand out in any way if you’re also addicted. Social media addiction may be more accepted in our society than other addictive substances, but social media addiction does have serious negative effects just like these other addictive substances.

To learn more about how harmful social media addiction can be, I did some research to further understand the consequences. What I found was surprising, but at the same time I was able to relate to a lot of these effects just as I am sure many of you reading this will also be able to. Excessive social media use  can lead to low self-esteem, mental health problems, unhappiness, and even a feeling of intense isolation (Hilliard, 2020). Social media, a place that is supposed to bring people together and create a feeling of connection, actually makes its users feel isolated! I think it is incredible how contradictory the intent, and the actual result of social media is.

It is important to understand why social media creates these negative mental effects in the people that use it. The detrimental effects someone who is addicted to social media may experience are a result of comparing your life and possessions to those that you see online. People only post the best pictures of themselves, from the most fun and important events they attend. A lot of times people will also show off materiel possessions in their posts as well. It is easy to be at home sitting on your couch looking at all this and think, “I wish I had that many friends”, or “I wish I could afford to dress like that.” Seeing the portrayed greatness of other people’s lives makes us subconsciously compare this to our seemingly less eventful and less luxurious lives. People create the self-deprecating notion in their mind that because their lives don’t compare to what they see others posting on social media, that they must be pathetic or lonely.

It is important to remember that your life is the only one that matters at the end of the day. You are given one chance at existence and you should spend it however you wish to, not worrying about what others are doing. Another important takeaway from this is that what you see on social media is a fabrication of reality, people are showing themselves off at their absolute best. You don’t need to match them or post similar things to prove yourself. Just stay focused on your own path and you will learn along the way what your real values are.

 

Reference list:

– Hilliard, Jenna. “Social Media Addiction.” Addiction Center, 17 Sept. 2020, www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/social-media-addiction/.

Picture Sources:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/06/518362255/feeling-lonely-too-much-time-on-social-media-may-be-why

 

http://chintanjain.com/journey/how-to-stop-comparing-with-others.php

 

 

As we’re starting to see there are a lot of reasons why social media is so compelling to humans beings. We get addicted so easily, and then without even realizing, once these platforms have us wrapped around their finger, we become trapped! Social media can show us what all our friends and other connections are up to at all times. People post things to make their lives seem exciting and fun. Users post photos and videos with other friends demonstrating how incredible their lives are! If you’re not contributing to this, unfortunately you lose relevance. Social media is theoretically a place to see interesting things, learn about current events, and be entertained, but there is a heavy pressure that comes with it. If you aren’t keeping up with everyone’s posts, or contributing your own posts, you lose connection. Social media pulls on the strings of one the human races most fundamental desires; to not miss out.

Just like a lot of human tendencies, the desire to be in the know is an instinct of ours. This fear is referred to as FOMO, which is an acronym for “fear of missing out”. This concept goes beyond just social media and also explains why people read the news paper or magazines, so they can inform themselves of what is going on. Social media utilizes our natural desire to stay informed to keep us as active users on their platforms. To understand how we become dependent on social media to stay informed, think about this example. Someone checks social media everyday for a year to see what their friends are doing and what is going on in the world around them. One day they decide to delete all platforms of media. Now this person has lost touch with what their peers are doing and has to find out about the world in a new, more difficult format such as reading a newspaper. We become reliant on social media platforms to keep us up to date on our interests.

The feeling of connection is very important to humans. It is one of our basic needs. When someone uses social media for long enough it becomes one of their main ways of staying connected to their community. This is one of the sole reasons that social media has so many people hooked. There is an infinite amount of new information being posted, so it never gets boring. Social media constantly provides new, interesting information specifically filtered to hold your attention. The most popular app in my opinion which does the best job at providing constant updates about communities and our world is Facebook. As I have stressed repeatedly in this blog, it is important to at least understand how we are being manipulated by these platforms so we are not just mindless consumers of their products. By no means am I saying we need to unplug ourselves immediately, my goal is just to continuously inform about the reasoning behind our addiction.

Picture Sources:

-https://www.statista.com/chart/5005/news-consumption-on-social-media/

Heads Up: FOMO is For Real

As if the universe itself was following my blog posts, it made me practice what I have been preaching. On Friday last week I dropped my phone and it was broken beyond use. My mind immediately realized the irony of the past two weeks. I had been writing a blog post about social media dependance  in humans, and I myself was not changing my habits at all. As I looked down at what was once my phone, and now a shattered screen with pixelated lines everywhere, I knew that now I was gonna experience what I had been advocating for in my blog. I have not used any social media this entire week and I will not be getting a new phone until Sunday. In my long and heroic hiatus from social media, these are some of the things I realized.

The most evident thing I noticed within the first few hours of not having a phone was how often they get pulled out. Every time  a silence or  change of scenery would occur, I noticed that the people I was with would all check their phones at the same time. All at once everyone just synchronously pulled out their phones and began to scroll. I just sat there and observed this behavior that I would otherwise not pick up on because I myself would probably join this unspoken phone time out from reality. Phones make It easy to escape the moment temporarily. It takes some of the stress and pressure off of conversations because people do not necessarily need to be talking. Immediate entertainment and escape in the matter of seconds. It makes sense why so many people are glued to their cell phones.

 

Another unsettling observation I made was how phones and social media not only quiet the scenery and crowd around us, they also quiet our minds. This week I have found myself really reflecting on events from my day and forming opinions and objectives. Instead of scrolling through Instagram before bed, I spent my last hours of consciousness just thinking. In movies such as The Giver, you see societies where governments feed their citizens pills and medication to silence their individual thoughts to keep them oppressed. As crazy as it sounds, not having a phone reawakened my mind and my sense of individual thought and reflection. It kind of felt like a form of enlightenment. The moments I would have usually filled with social media I now spend evaluating and reflecting. My days felt a little longer too because I was not procrastinating on my phone so I had time to fill which before was filled up. There were no posts or videos to take my mind off the thoughts in my head.

 

As pathetic as this may sound, not having a phone made me feel disconnected. I share this with you guys because this is my blog about some of my experiences, and if I am not honest about how I feel then I am misdirecting my readers and giving them false insights. Not having my phone made me feel less connected to the campus around me and my friends and family back home. A lot of the interaction we have is through our online presence. We have our real life figure, but also this other representation of ourselves which is our called our virtual identity. I lost my virtual presence this week and I lost connection with a lot of people. I only really saw my best friends on campus. The lesson here is that the most meaningful relationships are the ones that are formed in real life with people you care about who also care about you. I would defiantly recommend taking a few days to stay off your phone unless you need to and just experience what life is like without these convenient escapes from reality in out pocket. It helped me get in better touch with myself and learn more about the people around me. I am not saying life is better without social media, I simply trying to point out how much it changes our everyday lives.

 

 

Picture Sources:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-SOCIETY-IS-A-BURDEN-INDIVIDUALITY-IS-A-FREEDOM/888876/4574701/view

https://medium.com/@stanovsk/one-simple-hack-to-take-control-back-from-your-phone-166a2033cdbc

 

In this week’s post I would like to focus on why so many human’s have become so inseparable from social media. Like many other users, I don’t want to admit that I am “addicted” per se, only that I enjoy using it so much that I do not notice the fact that I subconsciously check my phone five times a minute. In reality I probably am addicted to social media or close to it. A lot of people in our country are actually, about 10% (Hiliard). This percentage mostly accounts for teenagers and young adults. What makes social media addiction so dangerous is its availability. Someone might get dirty looks if they smoke a cigarette out on the street, however if that same person were to be scrolling through social media no one would notice, because everyone else is also staring down at their phone.

Disapproved by society                                  Approved by society

 

In addition to its easy access, there is an unlimited amount of content on these social media apps. Not only is there unlimited content, there is unlimited content which is specified to only show pictures and videos in categories you have showed interest in. The more you use social media the more it is able to learn about you and therefor show you media which you are more likely to enjoy seeing. This is a similar concept to selective advertising, which many companies use to sell products to consumers who are more likely to buy. In order to understand how our brains can be become addicted to something that is not even consumed, smoked, or drank, I decided to do some research on what social media addiction is.

What I found was that similarly to the way that one becomes addicted to cigarettes and other addictive substances, rewards from social media platforms create dopamine, and trigger the reward section in our brain. The reward center in people’s brain is most active when they are receiving positive feedback about themselves. When someone posts a picture of themselves and receives positive feedback through comments and likes, the reward section of the brain is stimulated and dopamine is released (Hiliard).

In conclusion, it is easy to see why people can become so hooked on social media without even being aware it is happening. I mean it seems like such a fun harmless premise. Share pictures, like pictures, stay connected, and learn things…awesome. If only that was the case. It is a combination of the convenience and the rewarding feeling which makes social media such an addictive platform. What sets these apps apart from other addictive substances is that there is no negative stigma around them, and most people are unaware of at the addictive effect it can have. Next time you find yourself looking to social media for a mood boost, be aware of how that feeling can contribute to addiction. One of the hopes for this blog is that the more we learn about why and how social media is so compelling for humans, the better we will become at distancing ourselves from these bad habits.

References:

Hiliard, Jena. “Social Media Addiction.” Addiction Center, 18 June 2020, www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/social-media-addiction/.

Picture Source:

Your Brain on Dopamine: The Science of Motivation

Other two are stock photos.