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Social Media is a kind of drug used as medicine to connect us. Now it's poisoning our life slowly with ads, violent content, fake news, jhumala, etc. And instead of helping us trying to manipulate us. Hope this is not what we wanted!
In case you are a book lover, you knew this line taken from Cal Newport's latest book Digital Minimalism. He explains in it that, "How social media is affecting our like and consuming our attention?".
I am in the middle of the first chapter. But from my experiences, I know that it eats our attention and time. After using it, it's the content effect on the viewer's mind is very hypnotic. Social media platforms made those apps purposefully viral and aggressive.
At the start of 2018, I realized that social media is not helping me. Instead providing more and more negative effects. At that time I used to do more shopping for unwanted things. Cause other people have it. Kind of psychological effect on my mind.
Then I uninstalled Facebook, Instagram as well as stoped visiting from my laptop. And then it hardly needed in my life. Only Whatsapp is currently installed on my phone. And I am thinking to remove it but a lot of friends using it for messaging, so I have to keep it.
Actually, my friends made me install it in the final year of graduation. Cause if they have to discuss something then they need to call me and tell me everything that happened on Whatsapp. I still remember Swapnil, Dipa, Varsh, Pranali, and maybe Shrikant was telling me to install it. So we can keep in touch.
But after removing some social media apps and reducing it's usage time. Provided me more me time!
One of the reasons, Why social media is successful?? Cause basic human nature is to check what other people doing. In old-time like 1980 people used to go and check what others are doing. Nowadays, all that information is available in one click on the mobile phone.
To check this effect you can go to YouTube and search for "JCB ki khudai". How much free time some people have and how does it keep viewers engaged in it. Cause they wanted to know what happens next.
I won't say that Social Media is totally harmful. But usage of it is totally harmful. There are some bright sides to it, but I am not here to talk about it.
Consider you use social media for 2 hours every day. In one month, 2x30 = 60 hours, and that's (60/24 = 2.12) two and a half days. Rest you are wise enough to calculate further. How much you love social media and give it time.
If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.
References:
- Digital Minimalism By Cal Newport (Bill Maher HBO show Real Time)
