"Social Media" is societal cancer
Discussion
The Selfish Gene said:
I think the biggest problem with Social Media is the ability for uneducated morons to have too much of a voice and thus they get a mob rule mentality going on.
I think the biggest problem with the internet as a whole is the availability of the username.If I could unpick the www and start again, IP addresses would be issued like NI numbers and everyone would have to be themselves online. No V8mate, no Selfish Gene, no multiple accounts... just your real name, wherever you go on the web, entirely traceable by 'The Man'.
Morons will still be morons, but the whole notion of a keyboard warrior would be much diminished.
Social media is as good or bad as you make it.
If you’re posting stuff to create and image or fantasy lifestyle or getting upset by others projected lifestyle’s, then it not very healthy for you. I also read that face to face communication in young people is aparently declining to the extent that they’re less adept at deciphering some subtle facial expressions.
But then, if you’re using it to keep in contact with people and still having actual human friendships and interacting with humans, then it’s a great tool.
With regards to views and opinions expressed on social media, I think it was Obama recently that said the problem is that there’s no “baseline for facts anymore”. In the old days, you’d look something up in an encyclopaedia or read about it in the paper, not perfect but now you can find evidence to support any view and then you’ll get fed more of it through your browsing and likes etc. That’s obviously not great.
There’s actually too much information, it’s tempting just to use the information that you want to see and filter out the rest.
Either way it’s only going to increase and become more prevalent. Perhaps it’s just old people worried about it like my parents were worried about me watching too much tv or playing violent video games or someone warning about watching too much porn.
Like all these things, it’s about balance and being in control of it. We’re often tempted to view all this as a threat to humanity and something that makes us less human. But my kids still play outside and go and visit their friends. They’re all also using social media to different extents.
The other day a relative that lives a long way away posted a great photo of my (long gone) grandad up on Facebook. Loads of people I didn’t know posted fantastic recollections and stories about him. I was able to reconnect with my relative and send some messages, we’ve arranged to meet up again in the near future. So at the moment I’m viewing this stuff as being a good thing really.
If you’re posting stuff to create and image or fantasy lifestyle or getting upset by others projected lifestyle’s, then it not very healthy for you. I also read that face to face communication in young people is aparently declining to the extent that they’re less adept at deciphering some subtle facial expressions.
But then, if you’re using it to keep in contact with people and still having actual human friendships and interacting with humans, then it’s a great tool.
With regards to views and opinions expressed on social media, I think it was Obama recently that said the problem is that there’s no “baseline for facts anymore”. In the old days, you’d look something up in an encyclopaedia or read about it in the paper, not perfect but now you can find evidence to support any view and then you’ll get fed more of it through your browsing and likes etc. That’s obviously not great.
There’s actually too much information, it’s tempting just to use the information that you want to see and filter out the rest.
Either way it’s only going to increase and become more prevalent. Perhaps it’s just old people worried about it like my parents were worried about me watching too much tv or playing violent video games or someone warning about watching too much porn.
Like all these things, it’s about balance and being in control of it. We’re often tempted to view all this as a threat to humanity and something that makes us less human. But my kids still play outside and go and visit their friends. They’re all also using social media to different extents.
The other day a relative that lives a long way away posted a great photo of my (long gone) grandad up on Facebook. Loads of people I didn’t know posted fantastic recollections and stories about him. I was able to reconnect with my relative and send some messages, we’ve arranged to meet up again in the near future. So at the moment I’m viewing this stuff as being a good thing really.
V8mate said:
The Selfish Gene said:
I think the biggest problem with Social Media is the ability for uneducated morons to have too much of a voice and thus they get a mob rule mentality going on.
I think the biggest problem with the internet as a whole is the availability of the username.If I could unpick the www and start again, IP addresses would be issued like NI numbers and everyone would have to be themselves online. No V8mate, no Selfish Gene, no multiple accounts... just your real name, wherever you go on the web, entirely traceable by 'The Man'.
Morons will still be morons, but the whole notion of a keyboard warrior would be much diminished.
Way too easy to hide. Especially when you think some of the vile Tweeting that goes on, threatening vile crimes against people because you can anonymously.
The police are trying to prosecute but so much of it goes on
Mojooo said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Timmy40 said:
Mojooo said:
I think Twitter is worse than FB.
The 'problem' with Twitter is that it allows sharing of opinions and messages so quickly. If people don't think Twitter has a real affect on real world issues then they are naive.
The 'problem' with Twitter is that it allows sharing of opinions and messages so quickly. If people don't think Twitter has a real affect on real world issues then they are naive.
Twitter is awful. I don't use it, never have, and yet according to the news media I should care that a load of sanctimonious pricks spend all day long getting professionally offended over almost everything. You can turn on TV and watch Celebrity Toaster Swap, and conclude TV is rubbish. Or watch the latest Attenborough documentary, and be blown away. Twitter is no different.
k up. Letters and emails had no effect. One damning tweet and £400 was in my account within half an hour.Of course there are huge negatives, as we all know.
V8mate said:
I think the biggest problem with the internet as a whole is the availability of the username.
If I could unpick the www and start again, IP addresses would be issued like NI numbers and everyone would have to be themselves online. No V8mate, no Selfish Gene, no multiple accounts... just your real name, wherever you go on the web, entirely traceable by 'The Man'.
Morons will still be morons, but the whole notion of a keyboard warrior would be much diminished.
But with social media you control entirely whether you listen to morons or not. I’m not friends with morons on Facebook and don’t follow any on other social media. If some friend of my wife is spouting tosh and clogging up my feed with image crafting or whatever, I just delete her or don’t follow her. If I could unpick the www and start again, IP addresses would be issued like NI numbers and everyone would have to be themselves online. No V8mate, no Selfish Gene, no multiple accounts... just your real name, wherever you go on the web, entirely traceable by 'The Man'.
Morons will still be morons, but the whole notion of a keyboard warrior would be much diminished.
I’m always amazed on here when people complain about the terrible stuff they read on Facebook. If you’re friends with these people and you don’t actually like them in real life just delete them.
ETA. I meant to quote the guy talking about morons on Facebook but I agree with what you’re saying also.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 26th April 16:47
El stovey said:
V8mate said:
I think the biggest problem with the internet as a whole is the availability of the username.
If I could unpick the www and start again, IP addresses would be issued like NI numbers and everyone would have to be themselves online. No V8mate, no Selfish Gene, no multiple accounts... just your real name, wherever you go on the web, entirely traceable by 'The Man'.
Morons will still be morons, but the whole notion of a keyboard warrior would be much diminished.
But with social media you control entirely whether you listen to morons or not. I’m not friends with morons on Facebook and don’t follow any on other social media. If some friend of my wife is spouting tosh and clogging up my feed with image crafting or whatever, I just delete her or don’t follow her. If I could unpick the www and start again, IP addresses would be issued like NI numbers and everyone would have to be themselves online. No V8mate, no Selfish Gene, no multiple accounts... just your real name, wherever you go on the web, entirely traceable by 'The Man'.
Morons will still be morons, but the whole notion of a keyboard warrior would be much diminished.
I’m always amazed on here when people complain about the terrible stuff they read on Facebook. If you’re friends with these people and you don’t actually like them in real life just delete them.
My local MP is a keen Twitter user; a few weeks ago I tweeted an opinion to him, encouraging his support. Nothing grievous at all; it was a topic on higher education I think. Within minutes, I had swarms of made-up-no-names screaming blue murder about my opinion. And the same happens to people here on PH. It's almost impossible just to have a discussion - or even a debate - using the kind of words and manner which would be used in 'real life'.
I refer to it as anti-social media. Mrs Biker got facett & instertt about 3 years ago & is utterly addicted. Sometimes I'm home from work first & as soon as she's in range of our WiFi, its head down & 'like, like, fking-like....' Driving me fking nuts & has the potential to end our marriage.
I do not have facett/ttter/instertt, & hopefully never will. Society in meltdown & brains turning to mush.
t & instertt about 3 years ago & is utterly addicted. Sometimes I'm home from work first & as soon as she's in range of our WiFi, its head down & 'like, like, fking-like....' Driving me fking nuts & has the potential to end our marriage.I do not have facet
t/ttter/instertt, & hopefully never will. Society in meltdown & brains turning to mush.TheFlyingBanana said:
I steer well clear of it in the most part - I post on some discussion forums, but avoid Twitter, FB and the rest.
Everywhere I look, it seems to me that the downsides of social media, and the dangers it represents significantly outweigh the positives (although I do recognise there are some).
I just don't think society, and many of its members are emotionally or intellectually equipped to deal with this level of global connectivity and immediacy. It is causing huge problems with children, undermining democracy, trivialising serious issues, and turning the notion of "truth and fact" into an irrelevance.
I genuinely believe it is a significant global threat.
Human society is based on the generally accepted and shared premise that most people are basically honest most of the time. If nobody is able to trust anyone anymore, then social norms break down. If "the truth" becomes nothing more than a loudly shouted opinion at any given point in time, and there are no ramifications for those who are dishonest, then I can't see how society as we know it will continue to function in the longer term.
The law is already being subverted by trial by social media, the US President clearly feels that he has no obligation to the truth whatsoever, and the voice of the mob goes unchallenged and is unnaccountable.
Views?
U Ok Hun ?Everywhere I look, it seems to me that the downsides of social media, and the dangers it represents significantly outweigh the positives (although I do recognise there are some).
I just don't think society, and many of its members are emotionally or intellectually equipped to deal with this level of global connectivity and immediacy. It is causing huge problems with children, undermining democracy, trivialising serious issues, and turning the notion of "truth and fact" into an irrelevance.
I genuinely believe it is a significant global threat.
Human society is based on the generally accepted and shared premise that most people are basically honest most of the time. If nobody is able to trust anyone anymore, then social norms break down. If "the truth" becomes nothing more than a loudly shouted opinion at any given point in time, and there are no ramifications for those who are dishonest, then I can't see how society as we know it will continue to function in the longer term.
The law is already being subverted by trial by social media, the US President clearly feels that he has no obligation to the truth whatsoever, and the voice of the mob goes unchallenged and is unnaccountable.
Views?
Digga said:
Depends really. I have a mate who's a PHer (into his TVRs) and who I also meet occasionally on group mountain bike rides. Not caught up for a while because, as it turns out, he's not been too well. So it's nice to be able to keep in touch.
Also, bizzarrely, some of the most amusing people on my FB are people I've never met, friends of friends who added me.
Seems odd to me having friends of friends on my feed but I expect it’s that we all use these things differently.Also, bizzarrely, some of the most amusing people on my FB are people I've never met, friends of friends who added me.
I’m not really friends with anyone on Facebook that I don’t actually know and like in real life. I’ve just joined a Facebook group for deals with amazon Alexa connected devices and that seem to expose me to some odd strangers though,
turbobloke said:
How about a load of tall/short fat/skinny bald/hairy blokes who work/don't work as directors and are either powerfully built or not with varying martial arts capabilities? That should just about cover it - apart from the smaller number of female PHers, but Mumsnet provides balance in that regard.
It's not a bunch of good guys...and a bunch of evil guys! It's just...a bunch of guys.As someone in their twenties who's seen social grow and lived in that, from My Space, to Bebo to Twitter to Facebook to Instagram to Snapchat and so on - I personally don't get that much out if it.
I cannot stand going out for meals with friends and them taking photos of their food and Instagraming it. So many people don't live in the moment and would sooner post photos to get likes from strangers. I couldn't give a st what strangers think about what I'm eating or what I'm wearing in truth.
I've never downloaded Snapchat, but understand this is similar but can only see photo/videos for a small amount of time. It's also caused breakups for colleagues and people I know due to Snapchat tracking location all the time (if you allow it) as people aren't where they say they are.
The only real benefit to me is Facebook in the sense it's nice to see family and friends photo's. Although this has and is getting worse daily by having to filter through what my friends have liked and shared.
Only the other day at work some young women in the office were going crazy about some Kim Kardashian Snapchat story (no idea what this is) and could not give a toss.
How people let it be such a big part of their lives is amazing and sad. Great to keep in touch with people you don't see every day, but far prefer to just use email.
I cannot stand going out for meals with friends and them taking photos of their food and Instagraming it. So many people don't live in the moment and would sooner post photos to get likes from strangers. I couldn't give a s
t what strangers think about what I'm eating or what I'm wearing in truth.I've never downloaded Snapchat, but understand this is similar but can only see photo/videos for a small amount of time. It's also caused breakups for colleagues and people I know due to Snapchat tracking location all the time (if you allow it) as people aren't where they say they are.
The only real benefit to me is Facebook in the sense it's nice to see family and friends photo's. Although this has and is getting worse daily by having to filter through what my friends have liked and shared.
Only the other day at work some young women in the office were going crazy about some Kim Kardashian Snapchat story (no idea what this is) and could not give a toss.
How people let it be such a big part of their lives is amazing and sad. Great to keep in touch with people you don't see every day, but far prefer to just use email.
Edited by PHlL on Thursday 26th April 17:01
I think social media will, very soon, be regarded as the cause of an extremely serious, deep seated and unbelievably widespread mental health crisis which has already altered a generation irreversibly.
Pretty much every action we undertake as humans is as the result of a "positive feedback loop" and activity within the brain's reward system. Every time we do anything that promotes our survival as a human, dopamine is released. Prior to the modern age, dopaminergic reward would be limited to certain events, such as procreation, successfully hunting down a prey, finding a fruit orchard in the wild, etc.. In response to these types of events, dopamine would be released as a reward for the immense effort that courting a mate, or stalking and hunting down a prey takes. Dopamine is naturally released in response to delayed gratification activities coming to fruition.
Today, you don't have to look far to see dopamine triggers around every corner, accessible to us at the snap of our fingers. HD porn, fast food, video games, social media–these things trigger massive dopamine spikes over longs periods of time due to their perpetual novelty and accessibility. This overabundance of dopamine in the synapse leads to feelings of excitement in the short term, but leads to depression and a decrease in both motivation and energy in the long run. This is due to the fact that dopamine receptors become desensitized to the excessive concentration of dopamine across the synapse, in order to achieve homeostasis. When the stimulus is removed, dopamine receptors remain desensitized, therefore, the body needs more and more dopamine just to feel normal. This is the general mechanism of addiction. Addiction to cheap sources of pleasure have repercussions, which include (and are not limited to) obesity, ADD, anxiety, erectile dysfunction, lack of motivation, O.C.D., depression and lethargy.
Where social media is concerned - social interaction is supposed to be a hugely rewarding activity Biologically speaking and one that requires effort... establish a new relationship, get rewarded. However it is instantly available at our fingertips on our iphones. Have you ever caught yourself mindlessly scrolling through a facebook feed or Instagram account not really taking in what you're seeing? Its addiction. Do you get a short little thrill when your phone pings with a message? Hello dopamine.
To add to all of that, the instant access to dopamine spikes we have today is actually counterproductive to the biological function of dopamine. Recall that dopamine serves as a reward for our hard work paying off. When we are able to have pure neurochemical reward at our fingertips, we end up rewarding ourselves for doing nothing. This vicious cycle of feeling reward for nothing, followed by needing more reward to feel nothing proves disastrous in our ability to do work of any kind. The fact that we are steadily losing our ability to delay present satisfaction for future gain becomes problematic, as today, people would rather watch porn than pursue a potential mate or binge watch Netflix over reading a book.
The problem with social media is that it trains you to need a small, intermittent dopamine hit multiple times an hour.
Today, we are constantly checking our phones, waiting for someone to like our Instagram picture or retweet something we posted on Twitter, just to get that little surge of dopamine of someone validating our post. This obviously leads to some issues. Your ability to focus on tasks, uninterrupted, greatly diminishes due to this constant validation seeking behavior.
Not only is social media a harmful "neurothrill" that abuses our reward system, it also has a tendency to make you feel inferior. If you decide to keep using social media, it is imperative that you understand what its true purpose is: personal marketing. The people you follow will only post the most exciting moments that they experience, making their lives appear more thrilling than they really are. Many of us forget this and get caught up in comparing our own lives to the ones we see on social media. Realize that you are comparing yourself to a story that someone wants you to believe about them.
Don’t compare your homemade sandwich to a Big Mac in a McDonald’s commercial–it may look more delicious, but in reality, it’s just a greasy sandwich.
Social media is so engrained now in young people lives and indeed older adopters - it is totally unhealthy and due to human nature will always be abused and "succumbed" to. I have this opinion and yet still sometimes find myself drawn to it..... such it the power of dopamine.
I think pretty much any shortcoming in life, not physically speaking, could be fixed by understanding dopamine and its role in life.
Pretty much every action we undertake as humans is as the result of a "positive feedback loop" and activity within the brain's reward system. Every time we do anything that promotes our survival as a human, dopamine is released. Prior to the modern age, dopaminergic reward would be limited to certain events, such as procreation, successfully hunting down a prey, finding a fruit orchard in the wild, etc.. In response to these types of events, dopamine would be released as a reward for the immense effort that courting a mate, or stalking and hunting down a prey takes. Dopamine is naturally released in response to delayed gratification activities coming to fruition.
Today, you don't have to look far to see dopamine triggers around every corner, accessible to us at the snap of our fingers. HD porn, fast food, video games, social media–these things trigger massive dopamine spikes over longs periods of time due to their perpetual novelty and accessibility. This overabundance of dopamine in the synapse leads to feelings of excitement in the short term, but leads to depression and a decrease in both motivation and energy in the long run. This is due to the fact that dopamine receptors become desensitized to the excessive concentration of dopamine across the synapse, in order to achieve homeostasis. When the stimulus is removed, dopamine receptors remain desensitized, therefore, the body needs more and more dopamine just to feel normal. This is the general mechanism of addiction. Addiction to cheap sources of pleasure have repercussions, which include (and are not limited to) obesity, ADD, anxiety, erectile dysfunction, lack of motivation, O.C.D., depression and lethargy.
Where social media is concerned - social interaction is supposed to be a hugely rewarding activity Biologically speaking and one that requires effort... establish a new relationship, get rewarded. However it is instantly available at our fingertips on our iphones. Have you ever caught yourself mindlessly scrolling through a facebook feed or Instagram account not really taking in what you're seeing? Its addiction. Do you get a short little thrill when your phone pings with a message? Hello dopamine.
To add to all of that, the instant access to dopamine spikes we have today is actually counterproductive to the biological function of dopamine. Recall that dopamine serves as a reward for our hard work paying off. When we are able to have pure neurochemical reward at our fingertips, we end up rewarding ourselves for doing nothing. This vicious cycle of feeling reward for nothing, followed by needing more reward to feel nothing proves disastrous in our ability to do work of any kind. The fact that we are steadily losing our ability to delay present satisfaction for future gain becomes problematic, as today, people would rather watch porn than pursue a potential mate or binge watch Netflix over reading a book.
The problem with social media is that it trains you to need a small, intermittent dopamine hit multiple times an hour.
Today, we are constantly checking our phones, waiting for someone to like our Instagram picture or retweet something we posted on Twitter, just to get that little surge of dopamine of someone validating our post. This obviously leads to some issues. Your ability to focus on tasks, uninterrupted, greatly diminishes due to this constant validation seeking behavior.
Not only is social media a harmful "neurothrill" that abuses our reward system, it also has a tendency to make you feel inferior. If you decide to keep using social media, it is imperative that you understand what its true purpose is: personal marketing. The people you follow will only post the most exciting moments that they experience, making their lives appear more thrilling than they really are. Many of us forget this and get caught up in comparing our own lives to the ones we see on social media. Realize that you are comparing yourself to a story that someone wants you to believe about them.
Don’t compare your homemade sandwich to a Big Mac in a McDonald’s commercial–it may look more delicious, but in reality, it’s just a greasy sandwich.
Social media is so engrained now in young people lives and indeed older adopters - it is totally unhealthy and due to human nature will always be abused and "succumbed" to. I have this opinion and yet still sometimes find myself drawn to it..... such it the power of dopamine.
I think pretty much any shortcoming in life, not physically speaking, could be fixed by understanding dopamine and its role in life.
BBS, Usenet, web forums, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the comments sections of blogs, newspapers and YouTube, perhaps even MUDs and MMORPGs, all forms of social media.
I think the OP would probably be better saying that some forms of social media have got too big and too powerful and as a result their influence may be becoming malign.
For what it's worth, a significant part of what I use Facebook for is the same sort of thing Usenet and web forums are for. Indeed, some of the Facebook groups are bunches of refugees from those forums.
I think the OP would probably be better saying that some forms of social media have got too big and too powerful and as a result their influence may be becoming malign.
For what it's worth, a significant part of what I use Facebook for is the same sort of thing Usenet and web forums are for. Indeed, some of the Facebook groups are bunches of refugees from those forums.
PopsandBangs said:
Loads off stuff
Great post but it’s a bit of a worse case scenario really.Plenty of people are using social media and Netflix and porn and video games etc and not suffering all those things like erectile disfunction or obesity or whatever.
Yes that all could happen but most people aren’t suffering like that.
PopsandBangs said:
I think social media will, very soon, be regarded as the cause of an extremely serious, deep seated and unbelievably widespread mental health crisis which has already altered a generation irreversibly.
Pretty much every action we undertake as humans is as the result of a "positive feedback loop" and activity within the brain's reward system. Every time we do anything that promotes our survival as a human, dopamine is released. Prior to the modern age, dopaminergic reward would be limited to certain events, such as procreation, successfully hunting down a prey, finding a fruit orchard in the wild, etc.. In response to these types of events, dopamine would be released as a reward for the immense effort that courting a mate, or stalking and hunting down a prey takes. Dopamine is naturally released in response to delayed gratification activities coming to fruition.
Today, you don't have to look far to see dopamine triggers around every corner, accessible to us at the snap of our fingers. HD porn, fast food, video games, social media–these things trigger massive dopamine spikes over longs periods of time due to their perpetual novelty and accessibility. This overabundance of dopamine in the synapse leads to feelings of excitement in the short term, but leads to depression and a decrease in both motivation and energy in the long run. This is due to the fact that dopamine receptors become desensitized to the excessive concentration of dopamine across the synapse, in order to achieve homeostasis. When the stimulus is removed, dopamine receptors remain desensitized, therefore, the body needs more and more dopamine just to feel normal. This is the general mechanism of addiction. Addiction to cheap sources of pleasure have repercussions, which include (and are not limited to) obesity, ADD, anxiety, erectile dysfunction, lack of motivation, O.C.D., depression and lethargy.
Where social media is concerned - social interaction is supposed to be a hugely rewarding activity Biologically speaking and one that requires effort... establish a new relationship, get rewarded. However it is instantly available at our fingertips on our iphones. Have you ever caught yourself mindlessly scrolling through a facebook feed or Instagram account not really taking in what you're seeing? Its addiction. Do you get a short little thrill when your phone pings with a message? Hello dopamine.
To add to all of that, the instant access to dopamine spikes we have today is actually counterproductive to the biological function of dopamine. Recall that dopamine serves as a reward for our hard work paying off. When we are able to have pure neurochemical reward at our fingertips, we end up rewarding ourselves for doing nothing. This vicious cycle of feeling reward for nothing, followed by needing more reward to feel nothing proves disastrous in our ability to do work of any kind. The fact that we are steadily losing our ability to delay present satisfaction for future gain becomes problematic, as today, people would rather watch porn than pursue a potential mate or binge watch Netflix over reading a book.
The problem with social media is that it trains you to need a small, intermittent dopamine hit multiple times an hour.
Today, we are constantly checking our phones, waiting for someone to like our Instagram picture or retweet something we posted on Twitter, just to get that little surge of dopamine of someone validating our post. This obviously leads to some issues. Your ability to focus on tasks, uninterrupted, greatly diminishes due to this constant validation seeking behavior.
Not only is social media a harmful "neurothrill" that abuses our reward system, it also has a tendency to make you feel inferior. If you decide to keep using social media, it is imperative that you understand what its true purpose is: personal marketing. The people you follow will only post the most exciting moments that they experience, making their lives appear more thrilling than they really are. Many of us forget this and get caught up in comparing our own lives to the ones we see on social media. Realize that you are comparing yourself to a story that someone wants you to believe about them.
Don’t compare your homemade sandwich to a Big Mac in a McDonald’s commercial–it may look more delicious, but in reality, it’s just a greasy sandwich.
Social media is so engrained now in young people lives and indeed older adopters - it is totally unhealthy and due to human nature will always be abused and "succumbed" to. I have this opinion and yet still sometimes find myself drawn to it..... such it the power of dopamine.
I think pretty much any shortcoming in life, not physically speaking, could be fixed by understanding dopamine and its role in life.
Makes a lot of sense. Is that a professional opinion?Pretty much every action we undertake as humans is as the result of a "positive feedback loop" and activity within the brain's reward system. Every time we do anything that promotes our survival as a human, dopamine is released. Prior to the modern age, dopaminergic reward would be limited to certain events, such as procreation, successfully hunting down a prey, finding a fruit orchard in the wild, etc.. In response to these types of events, dopamine would be released as a reward for the immense effort that courting a mate, or stalking and hunting down a prey takes. Dopamine is naturally released in response to delayed gratification activities coming to fruition.
Today, you don't have to look far to see dopamine triggers around every corner, accessible to us at the snap of our fingers. HD porn, fast food, video games, social media–these things trigger massive dopamine spikes over longs periods of time due to their perpetual novelty and accessibility. This overabundance of dopamine in the synapse leads to feelings of excitement in the short term, but leads to depression and a decrease in both motivation and energy in the long run. This is due to the fact that dopamine receptors become desensitized to the excessive concentration of dopamine across the synapse, in order to achieve homeostasis. When the stimulus is removed, dopamine receptors remain desensitized, therefore, the body needs more and more dopamine just to feel normal. This is the general mechanism of addiction. Addiction to cheap sources of pleasure have repercussions, which include (and are not limited to) obesity, ADD, anxiety, erectile dysfunction, lack of motivation, O.C.D., depression and lethargy.
Where social media is concerned - social interaction is supposed to be a hugely rewarding activity Biologically speaking and one that requires effort... establish a new relationship, get rewarded. However it is instantly available at our fingertips on our iphones. Have you ever caught yourself mindlessly scrolling through a facebook feed or Instagram account not really taking in what you're seeing? Its addiction. Do you get a short little thrill when your phone pings with a message? Hello dopamine.
To add to all of that, the instant access to dopamine spikes we have today is actually counterproductive to the biological function of dopamine. Recall that dopamine serves as a reward for our hard work paying off. When we are able to have pure neurochemical reward at our fingertips, we end up rewarding ourselves for doing nothing. This vicious cycle of feeling reward for nothing, followed by needing more reward to feel nothing proves disastrous in our ability to do work of any kind. The fact that we are steadily losing our ability to delay present satisfaction for future gain becomes problematic, as today, people would rather watch porn than pursue a potential mate or binge watch Netflix over reading a book.
The problem with social media is that it trains you to need a small, intermittent dopamine hit multiple times an hour.
Today, we are constantly checking our phones, waiting for someone to like our Instagram picture or retweet something we posted on Twitter, just to get that little surge of dopamine of someone validating our post. This obviously leads to some issues. Your ability to focus on tasks, uninterrupted, greatly diminishes due to this constant validation seeking behavior.
Not only is social media a harmful "neurothrill" that abuses our reward system, it also has a tendency to make you feel inferior. If you decide to keep using social media, it is imperative that you understand what its true purpose is: personal marketing. The people you follow will only post the most exciting moments that they experience, making their lives appear more thrilling than they really are. Many of us forget this and get caught up in comparing our own lives to the ones we see on social media. Realize that you are comparing yourself to a story that someone wants you to believe about them.
Don’t compare your homemade sandwich to a Big Mac in a McDonald’s commercial–it may look more delicious, but in reality, it’s just a greasy sandwich.
Social media is so engrained now in young people lives and indeed older adopters - it is totally unhealthy and due to human nature will always be abused and "succumbed" to. I have this opinion and yet still sometimes find myself drawn to it..... such it the power of dopamine.
I think pretty much any shortcoming in life, not physically speaking, could be fixed by understanding dopamine and its role in life.
ETA... you're welcome
You all don't see the irony of complaining about social media on a PH post? You can't pick and choose what comes under social media and what doesn't. Just because there aren't regular videos of cats doing funny things, and constant reminders to become a vegan, doesn't make it any less part of the problem. I spend a lot of time on here, as i'm sure you do. Is it healthy? i'm not sure, but it comes under the same brain/emotional needs as facett and snapbook.
t and snapbook.s1962a said:
You all don't see the irony of complaining about social media on a PH post? You can't pick and choose what comes under social media and what doesn't. Just because there aren't regular videos of cats doing funny things, and constant reminders to become a vegan, doesn't make it any less part of the problem. I spend a lot of time on here, as i'm sure you do. Is it healthy? i'm not sure, but it comes under the same brain/emotional needs as facett and snapbook.
I genuinely think PH is bad for me. It winds me up like the Daily Mail winds me up.t and snapbook.It's entirely my own fault and I should completely self medicate by turning it off.
I only ever look at work, when I'm on a long call that I don't need to add value to.
I guess that's because I have such strong views on things, and it's a place to communicate those.
Still though, I should get out of the forums and use it for what I originally intended to use it for.
Information gathering on cars and bikes.
s1962a said:
You all don't see the irony of complaining about social media on a PH post? You can't pick and choose what comes under social media and what doesn't. Just because there aren't regular videos of cats doing funny things, and constant reminders to become a vegan, doesn't make it any less part of the problem. I spend a lot of time on here, as i'm sure you do. Is it healthy? i'm not sure, but it comes under the same brain/emotional needs as facett and snapbook.
I'm not so sure. I'm not on any social media but when I see my partner or the blokes at work it all seems to be about boasting. If a friend has work done on their house they post up a thousand pictures of it craving attention. I don't think forums like this have that same vibe, you'd get ridiculed for that!t and snapbook.Ive never used any of them so I can't pretend to understand it all but I honestly don't think I'd have a use for it.
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