By Gavin Boyle
Could ditching social media actually be a negative?
A Gen Z student name Billy quit social media but later realized it had some major cons.
“So I was off most major social media for around three years, like most of my college life,” Billy shared. “It was great, [but some things were also] bad.”
Related: How Social Media Changed: ‘Less Control Over What You See’
Throughout the six minute video, Billy shared that she found it a lot harder to stay connected with her peers and friends that she did not interact with on a daily basis because she was not up to date on the current happenings on social media, nor could she follow what her friends were up to from afar. She lamented the loss of these friendships that she was not able to passively maintain. She also shared that she felt she had documented her life so much less over those three years as she was not taking pictures to post anywhere.
@1ilyp00h just my thoughts from my own personal experience 🙂 #socialmediadetox
Billy also found herself less inspired to do hard things because she was not being influenced by the people on social media that embark on crazy journeys to do things like start a business or write a book.
Her perspective is interesting, considering that many people realize that smartphones, and especially social media, come with drastic negatives. These downsides are even more emphasized for younger users who are more prone to unhealthy use. From comparison to addiction to loss of sleep or lower self esteem, some have considered giving up their social media in search of a happier life.
Products like the Light Phone, a “dumb phone” meant to offer only the most basic phone needs, and counseling agencies working to wean clients off their devices keep cropping up as interest in a screen-free life grows.
“We focus on how social media degrades personal relationships and practical alternatives to keeping in touch with those you care about in a way that is uninterrupted by algorithms,” persuasive design, and the whims of Big Tech,” APPstinent, a company that advocates for less social media use, explains on its website. “We understand that social media is great for many other things, running a business, advocating for social change, etc. But for your best friend, classmates, and grandma, it falls short.”
Meanwhile, many others are fighting for changes that will keep the positives of social media while eliminating the negatives. One of these changes include the ability to turn off the algorithm so users are not kept on a platform for hours because they can endlessly scroll.
“Often [social media] feels like a closed loop, with the algorithm taking you further and further away from discretion and choice in who you follow,” journalist Nesrine Malik said. “All social media apps now have the equivalent of a “For you” page, a feed of content from people you don’t follow, and which, if you don’t consciously adjust your settings, the homepage defaults to. The result is that increasingly, you have less control over what you see.”
In the end, it is important for users to recognize that there are genuine positives along with the negatives of using social media. It is up to the individual to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons, or if they need to make changes so their lives are not disrupted by these platforms.
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