The Psychology of Social Media

We live in a society dominated by social media. A society in which there are a million and one ways to let the world, or at least your followers and friends, know what you are doing every second of every day! The question is, why? What is it about the human psyche that dictates, "your importance is based on how many likes or re-tweets you receive based upon this current posting." Why do we feel the need to disclose every detail of our lives on social media, only to be judged by individuals no more worthy of judging us, than we are of judging ourselves. Yet we welcome the judgment hoping someone, anyone will comment on how great our lives "seem" to be.

Courtesy of Favim!

I have often wondered how many magical moments are missed because we have to stop and take picture after picture of the particular moment and post it to our social media. Are family vacations or girls weekends not as special if the world can't see how much fun you're having? How much fun are you having, if you have to stop to make sure everyone sees how much fun you're having? Steven Strogatz suggests that social media can give a false sense of connection. This can cause individuals to spend more time fostering relationships that are not as meaningful, while the ones that are, begin to weaken. This phenomenon is growing exponentially and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

On a more personal note, I tend to lessen my time with certain individuals who feel the need to update social media posts every few minutes we're together. Social media in a sense, has contributed to the break down of being truly social. The next time your out to dinner or at the mall, glance around at the robotic society we now live in. It almost looks as if two people eating lunch don't even realize the presence of the other. An entire family walking together look as if they have never even met, let alone live together.

Social media has been a positive tool when used properly and when used sparingly. Yet, statistics show that most people use the Internet or check their mobile device over 150 times per day and post updates over 50 times per day. According to an article on Metro, social media can have a negative effect on an individuals well being when over use comes into play. There are some who experience disconnect anxiety when they are unable to get online and others who begin to underestimate the danger involved when disclosing too many personal aspects of their lives.

Social media doesn't have to be a bad thing, but if you find yourself unable to go a day without checking in or tweeting your latest emotion, you may need to take a step back and ask yourself if you've become addicted. Remember, the ones that truly care about how your day is going, are the ones who ask you personally without waiting for a status update. It is imperative that you remember to feed and foster the relationships that are important while drawing the line on the ones that aren't.