The Downside of Social Media use

When was the last time you were performing a task and gave it all your attention? I mean being totally focused, totally committed to what was before you and not allowing anything whatsoever to distract or take your attention away from it—be it studying your lecture notes, reading a novel, watching a documentary, or just spending sometime thinking, meditating?

In a world of non-stop mass marketing, increased connection and ‘the race to not get left out,’ are we losing touch with reality? Put another way; is the mass patronage of social media and our utter inability to spend any prolonged period of time without checking out our social media accounts at the expense of more important daily pursuits that deserve our undivided attention not indicative of our warped reality? If you find it impossible to spend a day without logging into one or another of your many social media accounts, and feel disconnected and alienated when your phone’s off for some time, then you’re right bang in the matrix.

In our haste to experience the new and the exciting and not be left out, are we not selling ourselves short? Of course, there are people who use social media and still are able to disconnect themselves when necessary, but not everyone is that smart.

When you wake up feeling disoriented, depressed and disconnected simply because you are unable to access social media for one reason or another, then maybe it’s time you get to work on yourself and get yourself out of the matrix.

I am all in favour of increased connection, and I am social media user myself, albeit not an ardent one, but I also think it’s a potential quagmire. With all its benefits; be it in terms of marketing yourself as a brand, putting your products and services out there, and just connecting with the right people to move your career and company forward, it has its downside.

Multitasking sound cool but being at work or being focused on a task in hand and then intermittently checking your social media accounts is a sign of professional immaturity and impulsiveness.

Unless you earn your corn as a social media worker in charge of a business brand page or other, don’t become another boneheaded social media druggie. Its gets you connected but more and more disconnected from reality and can mess up your head.

The more you allow social media to take over your world, the more likely you are to suffer from DAD—Divided Attention Disorder.

You will become less likely to fully focus on tasks, incapable of delayed gratification, and dumber in your lifestyle.

If you’ve allowed social media to suck you into the cesspool of narcissist living—only feeling good and happy when people comment and commend you on Facebook, and feel left out, totally bored and listless when no one comes online for you to chat with—its time you sort it out.

Live without distractions, use social media but not compulsively. And once a month, get some good book—be it fiction or non-fiction, turn off your phones, and just enjoy being focused and totally into something for once.