The Paradox of Social Media and Social Isolation
Most social media platforms are designed to connect people. It is a fairly new concept in terms of social evolution, and we are beginning to understand the ramifications of living a portion of our lives through social media. There are plenty of positive things to be said about social media, but there is another side of the coin and on that side of the coin is social isolation.
A pseudo-friend
Many people are shy, and it is difficult for them to make new friends. An appealing alternative is social media. Rejection doesn’t feel as real and you have the opportunity to meet many more people. Human beings are meant to be social animals, but what does that mean exactly?
The Cigna study
A study of over 20,000 people was done by Cigna Health Insurance. They issued a survey asking about loneliness. 46% of the respondents answered that they sometimes or always feel alone.
With numbers like that, it is no small wonder why people turn to social media. It seems like the older we get, the harder it is to make friends. Things like work, kids, and overall busy schedules tend to take precedence over a social life.
The paradox
A 2017 study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine shows a positive correlation between social isolation and > 2 hours per day of social media app usage. For the purpose of this study, social isolation is defined as a state in which an individual lacks a sense of social belonging, true engagement with others, and fulfilling relationships.
Relationship replacement
Sometimes, innovation takes the world by storm. Social media is an example of this type of innovation. However, as with many seemingly good things, people tend to go overboard when they find something they really enjoy. Social media is no different. As younger generations grab on to new technology, they seem to be further distancing themselves from “real” relationships.
Experts warn against spending more than two hours per day on social media platforms. Things like cyberbullying, adult entertainment, and other messages are not suitable for work, let alone young people.
The chicken or the egg
Many people argue that social media is not a problem and that shy people existed for millennia. This is hard to argue, but those people did not have the potential to communicate with thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions of people with a single click. The stakes are high, and people can be brutal. The possibilities are endless online, and tons of people build their identity there. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing.
Listen to the experts and limit your time on social media. Pay more attention to the world around you. Put yourself out there even though it can be scary. You might be surprised at how different people are when you communicate with them face-to-face.
