Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook are all social media platforms with large networks of people. Most of us are familiar with these platforms. Although they claim to be unique and different forms of social media, one thing they all have in common is the hours we spend scrolling through them. Scrolling on Instagram has no end. We find ourselves being sucked more and more into the world of social media and the miles of scrolling.
With the pandemic, we all found a lot more time on our hands than before. Many people took up new hobbies or explored their creative side. Unfortunately, we also ended up spending hours just sitting before our phones watching dance or cooking aesthetic reels. In today’s competitive world, being productive is almost a necessity. Social media, unfortunately, is causing harm to teenagers who find themselves addicted to scrolling and constant entertainment.
Here are reasons how social media is harming our productivity
Keeping you hooked
Social media platforms constantly keep creative newer and catchier trends to keep you hooked. They’ll find the coolest song or the coolest dance routine or maybe a really popular iced coffee recipe and your interest will be piqued. Social media influencers also play their roles by creating viral trends that will have you coming back for more every hour.
Clickbait
A study proved that each time you receive a message notification, dopamine, a neurotransmitter is released by your brain. The release of dopamine makes you feel happy or excited. Social media platforms use your very own minds against you by creating notifications you’ll find yourself opening immediately. When your friend tags you in a post or comments something under your feed, social media platforms will hide the necessary information such as the context of the message and only give you enough information to intrigue you, excite you and have you back on the site.
Unpredictability
This dopamine system is highly unpredictable. There is no way to tell what will initiate this response in your brain which means there is no way of stopping this cycle. Social media platforms cause dopamine releases in short amounts from time to time in the form of a follow request, like to your post or a reply to your story. All these actions keep you on your toes, looking for the next response or like.
Social media is a tool of instant gratification. You desire excitement or validation and social medical delivers. This cycle keeps you hooked for ages and before you know it you’re addicted to social media.
While social media can be quite addictive, it can also cause severe damage to your sense of self. Looking at so many perfect filters and rose-tinted lifestyles, social media also pushes you to feel unhappy above yourself and your lack of a perfectly balanced and aesthetically pleasing background.
Many people find themselves stuck in this loop that decreases their productivity and work-life balance. There is no one out there who isn’t guilty of spending a little too much time on the internet instead of finishing their tasks. A break from work here and there is normal and the very reason behind the existence of social media. Try to find a reasonable balance between your time in line and your duties. Do not spend too much time unnecessarily scrolling through social media with no motive or productivity.
