Some evidence seems to abound that, on average, social media does more harm than good in youths and adults alike. This is particularly ominous for developing countries that need the youths to bring about the much needed developments for the next generation and help change the sorry state of affairs in some of these countries. Just how can the youths do this when they are more likely to waste previous time and their minds on social media contents that are sometimes designed to psychologically disorient them?
I have a colleague, also a professor at my institution, who does not own a cell phone. Also, this fellow does not sleep in front of the computer reading digital consumer stuff. Instead, he uses the time to get better at what he does and improve his brand. To him, social media or the like is trashy stuff and the need for a cell phone is highly exaggerated.
Although my colleague’s disposition about owning a phone may not apply to some; for example, business people; in general our use of the phone is excessive. Do we really need to make or receive that many calls? I doubt it. Some statistics report that more than eighty five percent of people sleep with their smartphones, apparently waiting for that life-changing call during every night. This is obviously bordering on mild insanity. As for social media – Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube, to name a few – we consume way more than is healthy for our minds and our future. It is important to know that the problem is not limited to teenagers; I see adults, even those supposedly in positions of prominence, power, and authority waste valuable work time watching TV in the office, incessantly working their smartphones for usually trivial, non-productivity-related stuff, at the expense of the work they are being paid to do.
TV in offices, which I see a lot of in government offices and banks in Nigeria, is one of the worst productivity-killing incentives I have ever seen anywhere. I mean, what kind of logic goes into a bank teller being able to do her job better with one eye on the wall-mounted TV and the other on the work computer? Up till today, I cannot understand the rationale.
Let’s look at the devils in uncontrolled social media consumption. They include: a) getting folks addicted, b) loss of attention, or having partial attention; which limits people’s ability to focus and do quality work, c) possible lowering of people’s intelligent quotient (IQ), and d) the damaging of cognitive capacity by the use of smartphones, even if the phones are turned off! There are other undesirable effects such as the upending of the world political system – as evidenced by Brexit in Britain and the election of Donald Trump in America; with suggestions that the political upheavals aided by social media could antiquate democracy in the world, if the matter is not consciously, seriously, and rapidly checked. It is common knowledge that Facebook and Google were used to seriously manipulate the last presidential election in the U.S. in a way that some believe helped Donald Trump win, thereby muddling up the democratic institution in that country. The time wastage associated with the typical use of social media should be of concern to people who want to make something tangible out of their lives.
The way to excel in life is to have grandiose visions to which you devote all your resources – time being a critical one. Anyone who is observant will know that of all things in life, time is one that when you lose, you can never regain; it will be lost forever. So, people who want to do something with their lives don’t spend much of it on social media. The reason is this: rarely is social media helpful in achieving the typical meaningful visions that people have! I mean, students should be studying hard, not wasting away on social media sites.
Now, given that people are in general quite intelligent, it’s relevant to ask why they fall prey to the ills of social media. That is, whither self-control? Suggestions have been made that the social media companies may not be passive on this issue. That is, strategic psychological studies are undertaken for the purpose of affecting people’s psyche to make them more vulnerable. Capitalism at its worst may also be at work, since the more time you spend on social media, the more the advertisement revenues for the companies.
There are reports that many subtle psychological tricks are being used to make you develop habits – such as varying the rewards you get. Your negative emotions could also be exploited. How about this from The (UK) Guardian newspaper on 9 October 2017: “An internal Facebook report leaked this year, for example, revealed that the company can identify when teens feel “insecure,” “worthless” and “need a confidence boost.” In such situations, the kids are presented with buttons that will suit them – serving to get them even more hooked!
Controlling your use of social media obviously requires conscious self-discipline, to fight the urge.
