Don’t blame Facebook, Twitter or the media; blame the consumer
The symptoms started in my right hand, and there was a noticeable discomfort in my abdomen, just from putting my phone down.
My addiction to caffeine is not a problem, whereas the dependency to my phone is; there are withdrawal symptoms to both.
The difference is caffeine, or my first love, sugar, produce fun, whereas the phone’s “high” is a hallow rush of sadness, anxiety, and sometimes depression.
The 2020 election cycle should show us all of just how much we invest in something that yields so little.
Some is OK, and worth our time. The much is not.
The trade to acquire immediate news, to see how a person from 30 years ago is “doing,” or the “like” or “heart” is not worth not this much time. Or the emotional, and physical, side effects.
It’s not just our kids who are addicted. We all are, and it’s wasting our lives.
Last December, I deleted the only two social media apps, Facebook and Twitter, from my phone for a week during vacation.
That left emails and texting. For three days I physically felt the absence of that phone; my right hand missed clutching it. So did my mind. There was some discomfort in my lower right abdomen area.
Hours came back that I previously wasted, and now fight to do again.
In a phone interview last week with NBC NFL reporter Michele Tafoya, I mentioned social media, to which she admitted having deleted all of her accounts.
Her frustration was partly based on Twitter and Facebook’s decision to act as an editorial director, and removing certain pieces of content.
And, “Time is the most valuable commodity anyone has; why I am using any of mine when I have two kids I’m trying to raise?” she said. “Why am I wasting time on these platforms?
“I can handle (negative comments on social media). I’m a tough person. I really don’t mind the slings and arrows. I value my time too much. I’ve been inconsistent with my time. I’m exhausted by (social media). I think social media brings out the worst in everybody. I don’t have time for it. Life is too damn short.”
We boast of finishing a book, completing a project, or exercising. You don’t hear people say, “I spent eight hours on my phone today!”
A Facebook follower posts as many as 12 political posts every day, all angry.
At first I was mad, until it made me sad. That is this person’s day. Their week. Their year. Their life.
The popular Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma” illustrates in detail the problems created by social media, but they are not entirely on the creators of these platforms.
Much in the same way I don’t blame Ray Kroc for creating McDonalds or Steve Jobs the iPhone, I don’t blame Mark Zuckerberg for Facebook or Jack Dorsey for Twitter. They are entrepreneurs who created a product to make money.
If we are responsible for putting the greasy cheeseburger in our mouth than we are equally on the hook for picking up that phone and thumbing our way through a super sized order of electronic junk food.
When consumed in moderation, McDonald’s fries, or a Facebook scroll, is not bad for your health.
A few fries are fun, and too many can make you fat and miserable.
Social media is a part of our daily existence, and it will never go away. Take a few bites, and trash the rest.
By the way, follow me on Twitter @MacEngelProf and Facebook.
