Is Social Media Actually Making Us Less Social?
Some of the most popular social media platforms were created to bring people together. But do they actually succeed in doing this or are we less social than ever?Are we truly socializing with others on social media the same way we do in real life? Here’s a look at the trends and factors that may mean social media is making us less social.
Is Social Media Making Us Less Social?
The average person uses social media for hours per day and yet a significant amount of people report feeling lonely. According toEntrepreneur, 36% of Americans feel serious loneliness. It is hard to tell if these two things are linked, but there is some evidence connecting them.
While social media allows us to connect with friends and family that we aren’t able to see every day, it can also confine us to our homes on our phones instead of engaging in social activities.
We may feel that we have acquaintances on the internet, but it is hard for them to be as emotionally meaningful as a face-to-face relationship with a friend or family member.
A lack of social activity can lead to loneliness, Entrepreneur notes.
How Social Media Makes Us Feel More Lonely
There are a few factors that impact our levels of loneliness despite our use of social media. These include the focus of platforms on e-commerce and marketing, replacing real-life socializing with online socializing, and the FOMO that social media causes.
The Focus on E-Commerce Over Community
You have probably noticed that you’re seeing products on TikTok a lot more than you used to. This is part of a shift towards monetization on these platforms. According to thePew Research Center, 30% of US social media users say they have purchased something after seeing it on social media.
This marks a shift towards people looking at social media for shopping instead of connecting with friends or family. Users are watching influencers or content creators talk about products that you can buy in a very one-sided way, rather than socializing with people they actually know online.
There are tons of ads and promotional posts embedded into almost all of our social media feeds, which makes it even harder to actually connect with friends and socialize on these supposedly “social” apps. Algorithmic feeds, that many popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok use, are designed to get you to view more ads to generate more money for these platforms. The priority of social media just isn’t about making connections anymore.
People Use Social Media Instead of Socializing IRL
People are spending hours per day on social media, and whether they are using it to shop or to actually talk to friends, those hours are still taking away from the time they can spend truly socializing in their life like at a restaurant or bar. This isolation that social media users cause themselves means thatsocial media can be harmful to society. The effects of social media overuse can cause depression and anxiety.
It is well-known that not everything can be conveyed through text messages; often people have to actually spend time together to truly get to know each other. But people just go on social media instead because it’s easier, and they miss out on important social development.
One important counterpoint to mention here is that social media can be an avenue for being social when it is not possible to be social in real life. For people with severe anxiety or chronic illnesses, social media can help you find community with others who you wouldn’t otherwise meet. In this way, social media can provide a key emotional outlet.
This was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic where it was dangerous for many with immunodeficiencies and other chronic health issues to be physically around other groups of people. Online interaction replaced traditional social interaction, which whether it was a worthy replacement or not, was better than nothing at all.
But while there are moments when social media helps people to be more social, the same social media also has significant setbacks and can contribute to feelings of isolation.
Social Media Gives Us FOMO
Many social media users are familiar with FOMO: the fear of missing out. TheNational Institutes of Healthdescribe FOMO as negative emotions about not belonging or missing social activities commonly experienced from viewing social media.
FOMO happens when we see our friends or others doing fun things on social media while we are sitting at home. This makes us feel less social, when often the reality is that people only post the most interesting parts of their lives on social media, and they sit at home just as much as we do.
So, the perception might be that we are less social because of social media, but that often is not actually the case. However, if you still feel a lot of negative emotions because of social media, there are plenty ofways to stop feeling lonely and connect with other people online.
Are We Less Social Because of Social Media?
There are a lot of factors that determine if individual social media users are less social because of social media. It all depends on how often they use it, what they primarily use it for, and if they are still socializing in their daily life too.
However, users often feel like they are less social and lonelier now because of feelings like FOMO.
Here are a few reasons to consider quitting social media for good.
When your rival has to bail out your assistant.
These plugins will make you wonder why you used Photoshop in the first place.
Unlock a world of entertainment possibilities with this clever TV hack.
These are the best free movies I found on Tubi, but there are heaps more for you to search through.
Goodbye sending links via other apps.
