In the colorful world of social media, where filters hide the reality through its beautiful and aesthetic shades, and present them as an alluring digital diary, popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now known as X), is like an online gallery presenting only the carefully chosen moments and stories of people’s lives. This meticulously curated virtual world, along with the #FOMO, popularly known as The Fear of Missing Out, being the hidden driving force, somehow manages to lure us to create an online presence. The allure is undeniable, and just like a moth to a flame we knowingly or unknowingly get immersed into building this online personality, just to present ourselves to the world which is connected by the virtual web of social media.
Social media platforms have evolved, it has grown beyond a mere communication tool. It is safe to claim that it has become like an arena where our identities are shaped and validated. The temptation for likes and comments acts as a force in shaping our online personalities.
Now. Who uses social media? Me? You?
Well, almost everyone uses it. However, the number is heavily dominated by the young adults and adults ranging from the age of 18 to 34 years.
“Given the latest survey available, in India there will be about 470.1 million active social media users (Log in at least once in a month) in 2022. This is about 33.4 % of the addressable demographics. Also, throughout 2021 to 2022, the number of users has grown 4.2 %.”
Indian Social Media User Demographics
In India, based on the data given by OOSGA Organization, WhatsApp has gained the title for being the most used social media platforms, followed by Instagram and Facebook. Be it for instant messaging or for promoting business, WhatsApp has always found a way for the users in our country.
Instagram and Facebook are the platforms which allow us to create posts and stories, and engage with the contents of other users through likes and comments. Nowadays, the trend of short videos and reels, which originally started by the app called Tiktok is taking over the media. It has dominated media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, & Snapchat. These 15-30 second videos allow the users to create a video of them, by simply using the smartphone camera and then enhance and edit the video with its inbuilt tool. The success of such videos is measured by the likes, comments and views it gets, and also by the extent it gets viral. The followers and the users act as an online social media consumer for all the existing influencers and content creators.
According to the researchers, “recent statistics show that the average time spent on Instagram in India has increased 3.5 % after reels launch and increased Instagram downloads by 11.4%.”
These short videos have the power to hook our attention and keep us scrolling from one to another, indulging us in a reel or short video marathon. But have you ever wondered how it affects our brain or us as an individual, or how it manages to take control over our brain every single time you open the app such that you end up in the never-ending world of reel? The answer lies in the action of Dopamine, which is our “feels good” neurotransmitter. Every time you scroll, and encounter a new good video based on your preference and likings, your brain releases dopamine. Every time you receive likes or good comments on your posts, the brain perceives it as a reward resulting in again the release of dopamine. However, these excessive releases of dopamine keep us stay hooked to the content and it ends up in excessive social media consumption, leading to addictions. It can contribute to us getting isolated from the world, affecting our personal relationships with others. We also end up having Dopamine Dysregulation, which is a medical condition, where we users become less responsive towards the day-to-day regular activities, and continue to search for social media gratification as reward. Additionally, it has led to a drastic reduction in our attention span, hence we often find it difficult to focus on the task which needs longer attention.
Scrolling through the feed, also might even trigger anxiety and stress, through comparison with the so-called perfect lives portrayed through the posts and stories.
Social media only tends to highlight the achievements rather than the struggles faced in achieving them, making the world of others seem perfect like the Snapchat filters. This somehow leads to the feeling of inadequacy and dissatisfaction.
Through the struggles in getting approval of our online persona, by likes, comments and follower numbers, somehow our anxiety level also elevates. That fear of not meeting the standards set by others, mainly the celebrities and influencers, can induce stress and the constant pressure of enhancing our online presence. Among the 12-17 years old users, 13% of them reported depression, and 32% reported anxiety. Furthermore, for the young adults of 18-25 years, 33.7% of them reported having some sorts of mental health issues.
Humans are known as social animals. We need companionship in our lives. Ironically, social media which were designed to connect people, has now ended up distancing them. Social connection with others can prevent loneliness and help to ease our mental health, and lacking them can trigger serious mental health conditions as well. Hence it is important to not just rely on social media platforms to connect with others, as it can never replace the real-life human connections.
Have a digital detoxification, by taking a break from social media. It is important to set the designated time for social media usage and prioritize real world interactions. Also, instead of comparing with others through an Instagram story or Facebook posts, we can work on improving ourselves. Besides, no one’s life or no one is perfect.
In addition to that, following unhealthy trends like food challenges by attempting to eat unusual unhealthy food combinations just for the sake of views, would not get us anywhere or help us achieve anything in the real world. It is important to set our personal boundaries and understand what is better for us and our health.
Social media could also be a healthy space to let out our ideas, thoughts and emotions. Despite all the negatives it can still be the platform to showcase our hidden talents. Promoting positivity in that harsh platform will not cost us anything anyway. Just a positive comment under the posts of the users who are trying, and a click on the unfollow/unfriend/unsubscribe button to all the unhealthy problematic accounts, has the power to change our experiences. It is essential to educate ourselves through media literacy, and educate other young minds as well, who are the dominant users of social media. Learn a bit more about the algorithm, the selective nature of the media contents and understand how it curates our feed. Furthermore, it is never too late to seek support. Sharing our thoughts and feelings, journaling and seeking professional support can help a lot!
Social media could be still used as a tool for fostering healthy connections and become an awe-inspiring footprint for others.
Are you still going to be another trend follower, or be the new trend setter – the choice is all yours.
References
- McSwine, D. (2023, November 7). Factors influencing Instagram Reels usage behaviors: An examination of motives, contextual age and narcissism. ScienceDirect. Retrieved January 7, 2024, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772503022000056
- Social Media and Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Mental Health. (n.d.). National Center for Health Research. Retrieved January 7, 2024, from https://www.center4research.org/social-media-affects-mental-health/
- Social Media and Mental Health. (2023, March 29). HelpGuide.org. Retrieved January 7, 2024, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm
- Social Media in India – 2023 Stats & Platform Trends. (n.d.). OOSGA. Retrieved January 7, 2024, from https://oosga.com/social-media/ind/
- Vangara, M. (2023, October 10). Dopamine Liquid: How Instagram Reels Affect Your Brain”. Medium. Retrieved January 7, 2024, from https://medium.com/@vangaramanikanta1/dopamine-liquid-how-instagram-reels-affect-your-brain-02f2e68f34c8
