#Social Media Addiction

[xoxomireya]

ㆍ⇋﹒how to fix your phone and social media addiction: a tutorial ；ᨴ﹑📲ˎˊ˗

DO NOT delete social media !!

If your phone is taking over your life, who’s the real culprit? Exactly. Social media is not bad per se, the problem comes in when the content that you surround yourself with is toxic and unhealthy. Use your phone and social media for motivation, productivity, inspiration… Mindlessly scrolling is the real problem, not social media.

Don’t you have something better to do?

Being on our phones and constantly scrolling mindlessly through social media gives us dopamine and makes us addicted to it. But the thing is, phones aren’t the only thing that can give you dopamine. Explore and experiment life to see what can give you dopamine. For example, I love reading and when I’m doing it I never think of going on my phone because doing something that I love already gives me the dopamine that I seek.

Discipline is key.

This is kind of obvious since discipline is the solution to most of these issues but you actually need to learn how to have discipline. Change your mindset to one that understands that getting used to comfort will only bring weakness in the long run whilst getting out of your comfort zone will build strength. Start by choosing to do something that will be better for you in the long run even if it’s hard than settling for brief happiness just because it’s easier.

Start by not going on your phone first thing in the morning.

Going on your phone first thing in the morning will pretty much guarantee that you’ll be glued to it the rest of the day because the first dopamine hit that you get in the day is what you will continue to look for throughout the day. Get an alarm clock or just leave your phone in another room (e.g. your bathroom) throughout the night so when the alarm goes off in the morning you’ll be forced to get out of bed and not crawl back in it with your phone.

Change your phone from color to black and white.

Accesibility > display & text size. If the only colors you see on your phone are black and white it’s just not going to hit the same, you’re not going the get the same dopamine hit and you’re not going to want to mindlessly scroll because it’s not giving your brain that reward and that satisfaction that you would usually get, which is what unconsciously keeps us coming back.

#it girl #self care #self love #social media addiction #phone addiction #self improvement #self worth #self healing #self development #new year new me #girly #divine feminine #that girl #inspiration

[shroomsnsuch]

I think my favourite thing about web revival is that is also coincides with social media addiction and the core web, like yea we all are so viscerally intertwined with this thing that we've labelled as 'social media,' instead being addicted to surfing the web or getting lost in web rings or rabbit holes, to accessing this virtual realm, we are addicted to these corporations that have monopolized the web! We are, and spending more time in the real world is so, so important. The small web, the peripheral web, honestly encourages a distance from the digital space as a whole. (at least for me)

I have to put effort in engaging in these sites people create. Despite being so excited for educating myself on the digital space and tech in general, in the process I'm being educated on the ways these corporations exploit and get us addicted to mentioned monopolies. Not like I didn't know, of course I was aware, but it's this vague knowing and not much motivation or ability to overcome the reality. Engaging in the core web because that's where everybody is, that's what it felt like. Being there because that was the reality of the situation. Being there because that's where the wealth of media and people are, but with web revival and the small web there is a sense of hope.

Spacehey running slower due to an influx of users, people posting everyday on forums, portfolios and blogs on neocities, it's amazing. I hope personal websites spread like fire, I hope the core internet loses some of its consistency and spreads out. That videos are posted on websites, that one day YouTube is met with a competitor. That we have to put effort in curating who we interact with. I want to put aside the fear that with popularity that somehow this amazing revolution is tainted in someway. I'd rather the size of the movement grow instead of holding onto this fake concept of small web 'purity,' which I've seen a bit. I'd rather the world have a sense of choice from the core web, personal freedom over monopoly, rather than keep this culture isolated and grassroots.

#web revival #neocities #spachey #shroomshrambles #social media addiction #css #html

[theereina]

"Digital Self-Care: Setting Boundaries Online"

In our increasingly interconnected and digital world, setting boundaries online has become an essential aspect of overall well-being. The omnipresence of smartphones, social media platforms, and constant connectivity can lead to information overload, digital fatigue, and potential negative impacts on mental health. Recognizing the importance of establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries in the digital realm is crucial for fostering a balanced and fulfilling life.

The Importance of Setting Boundaries:

Protecting Mental Health:

Constant exposure to digital stimuli can contribute to stress, anxiety, and burnout. Setting boundaries helps in preserving mental well-being by allowing individuals to detach from the digital world and focus on real-world experiences.

Maintaining Healthy Relationships:

Unchecked screen time can interfere with personal relationships. Establishing digital boundaries ensures that quality time is dedicated to offline interactions, fostering stronger connections with family and friends.

Productivity Enhancement:

Excessive use of digital devices may lead to a decline in productivity. By delineating specific time slots for work, leisure, and rest, individuals can optimize their productivity and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Preventing Information Overload:

The constant influx of information from various sources can be overwhelming. Setting boundaries on information consumption helps individuals filter and prioritize content, preventing information overload and promoting a more focused and intentional use of online resources.

Tips for Managing Screen Time and Creating Balance:

Define Clear Work and Leisure Hours:

Establish specific time frames for work-related activities and leisure pursuits. This demarcation helps in preventing work from encroaching into personal time, promoting a healthier balance between professional and personal life.

Designate Tech-Free Zones:

Identify areas in your home or specific times of the day where digital devices are off-limits. This could be during meals, in the bedroom before bedtime, or in designated relaxation spaces. This practice encourages more mindful engagement with the physical environment.

Utilize Screen Time Tracking Tools:

Many devices offer screen time tracking features that provide insights into digital habits. Utilize these tools to monitor and manage daily screen time, enabling individuals to make informed decisions about their online activities.

Establish Social Media Boundaries:

Set limits on social media usage to prevent mindless scrolling. Designate specific times for checking social platforms, and consider detox periods where you take a break from social media to recalibrate and refocus.

Prioritize Face-to-Face Interactions:

Actively schedule in-person meetings and activities. Physical interactions contribute significantly to emotional well-being and can provide a necessary break from the digital world.

Learn to Say No:

Be mindful of overcommitting to online engagements. Learn to say no to invitations, notifications, or requests that can contribute to digital overwhelm. Prioritize activities that align with your personal and professional goals.

Practice Mindfulness:

Incorporate mindfulness practices into your routine, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises. These practices can help create a sense of presence and awareness, reducing the stress associated with constant digital connectivity.

By consciously setting boundaries in the digital realm, individuals can enhance their overall well-being, improve personal relationships, and cultivate a healthier balance between the online and offline aspects of their lives. Digital self-care is an evolving practice that requires mindfulness and adaptability, empowering individuals to navigate the digital landscape in a way that promotes their holistic health and happiness.

#digital self care #self care #online safety #social media addiction #social media safety #internet safety #mental wellbeing #women's mental health #mental health awareness #mental health #productivity enhancement #sensory overload #sensory overstimulation #mindfulness practices #self awareness

[gh0sting-along]

the state of my mental health can be seen by the frequency in which i post on social media.

#actually mentally ill #mentally unstable #social media addiction

[party-gilmore]

Also like. It's literally DAY ONE of my new screen-time enforcement. Not even a full twenty four hours yet.

And holy shit.

Literally, all day long, I have been physically itching to pick up my phone and get on here and see what's happening. Not even about specifically bad shit like I've been fixating on I mean for literally ANYTHING. Repeatedly, constantly, through out the day, picking up and flicking over to where the app was on my home page and just. Staring for a minute until I realize what I'm doing. Over and over and over and just seeking and seeking and seeking... i don't know what, but SOMETHING. To make posts, check posts, see what's going on... like physically fucking painful. And then towards the end of the day, the fucking anxiety literally all built around not know exactly what's happening right now what if I miss something. The fucking legit panic. Then the relief right as I sat down at my computer.

Like. I rolled my fucking eyes when people talk about the Youths being Addicted To Their Phones. But holy shit. Holy shit. There was. APPARENTLY. an underlying issue to ALL of this [gestures at self and the various smaller yoyo-ing mental breaks happening lately] that I had no fucking CLUE about.

On the one hand I feel so fucking silly for having such a hard time doing something so simple, just "wait till you get home then limit your time." But on the other hand there's... a bit of a relief element? Like "oh, okay, this was. there was something WRONG wrong here."

#and thus begins the journey of figuring out okay how much is enough how much is too much how much is too little #bit by bit by bit figuring out my personal shit #phone addiction #social media addiction #full apologies in spite of all the Clock App Bad Bird App Poisoning Your Minds shit i've rb'ed half serious half jokey jokey #I am CLEARLY not immune #and taking it a hell of a lot more seriously now

[the-healing-mindset]

Remember, it's okay if you have to distance yourself from the internet from time to time. Stuff on here can be extremely overwhelming, even the things that are meant to be good for us. If you find yourself being triggered by certain content, then it is especially important to find ways to block that content out either by unfollowing certain media sources or by using built-in features that limit what you may be exposed to. No, this does not mean that you are "weak" or that you need to "toughen up". It just means that you are looking to take better care of your mental health, and that is more important than any rude or condescending comments that you may receive.

#healing #recovery #growth #reminder #gentle reminder #peace #mental health #internet #online abuse #overwhelm #emotions #feelings #triggers #emotional triggers #self-care #self-awareness #social media addiction #technology addiction #addiction #internet addiction #social media

[rewcana]

do you spend many of your waking hours on social media? do you feel like it's a problem? in this world of late stage capitalism, your time and attention is actively being harvested by big corporations. it's.. not good. it also just makes you feel bad!

here are some tips that have really helped me reduce the amount of time i give to these apps & get in control of my social media addiction:

1. IDENTIFY PROBLEM APPS

you probably know which apps you spend the most time on. however, looking at real data about usage is very helpful because time spent on social media is very deceiving. keep in mind which apps you spend the most time looking at and interacting with for the rest of this list.

2. TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS

this is probably the easiest thing to do and it makes an immense difference. it's up to your discretion which notifications you want to keep on (turning on messaging notifications but turning off algorithm and interaction notifs for example) but, the most effective way to stay off problem apps is to turn off ALL notifications.

3. TURN OFF NOTIFICATION SOUNDS

i always keep my phone on silent. i understand that not all people have that privilege but, if you're able to i would highly highly recommend. it has helped me a lot with anxieties regarding waiting for notifications. i used to experienced the phantom vibrate and check my phone obsessively when nothing would happen. you can also just turn off notification sounds and vibrations for any non necessity apps if you don't want to jump to turning off all notifications.

4. CHANGE THE PLACEMENT OF PROBLEM APPS

i actually learned this trick from facebook when they changed the UI slightly so you had to be more intentional in interacting with the app. changing the layout of the apps on your phone really helps you catch yourself when you are automatically opening up apps that cost you time and attention. instead of keeping social media apps on the homescreen, keep it on a different screen, in a folder, & if possible out of the preview window for the folder.

if you want to expand on this more, you could keep a log in a notes app of every time you reached for an app that has since moved. you can even put the notes app in its place!

5. UTILIZE APP TIMERS

my experience is based on samsung app timers so i'm not sure how it differs in different makes. i really dont like my phone telling me i can't do something so i've set my tumblr timer to the highest end of my usage data (2hrs 10 minutes). another mindfulness thing that i like about using the timers is that when i'm switching between apps, my phone tells me how much time left i have (it's currently 1 hour 21 minutes, most of the 49 minutes i've spent writing this lol). i'm just a slut for data so i really like this aspect of the samsung app timer function and it's very useful besides this point.

6. DELETE APPS

okay, i know this seems drastic. but it doesn't NEED to be depending on your habitual problem apps. apps like youtube, instagram, facebook, and tumblr (to a lesser extent ime) (and probably others these are just the ones i have experience with) can pretty easily be transferred to being used exclusively on a web browser. if you use firefox it will even get rid of ads which is very important for overall sanity and for safe web browsing. one of the biggest plusses to moving from an app to a web browser is that it won't automatically play your platform's version of tiktoks. it also makes it more difficult to upload items which is a plus because it will hinder you from doing so and cut back on the loop of expecting validation from recently posted content.

opening instagram without immediately being enthralled by their endless stream of reels has made it SO much easier to control my time on the site. there are tons of plusses to transferring from app browsing to web browsing.

so on the more drastic side, if you are addicted to tiktok you maybe should just delete it. tiktok is intentionally designed so you can't use it in a web browser and can only use it in the app. i will talk more about tiktok and how evil it is later in this post.

7. MOVE DMS TO MESSAGING APPS

if a hesitation to turning off notifactions or deleting apps is from not wanting to miss conversations from online friends, i understand your pain. but, if you are serious about cutting down screen time on apps that are absolutely draining your attention, talk to your friends about switching to a different messaging app. i would suggest signal personally.

your friends may be experiencing similar problems with phone addiction and even if they aren't, if they care about you, they will make this accommodation to help you in this process. i get that this is very scary but i believe in you.

8. USE TIME ON YOUR PHONE FOR OTHER THINGS

depending on your goals for how you spend your time, there are plenty of alternatives to social media / other problem apps you may have. personally i have downloaded a bunch of books on my reading list and will divert attention from dopamine pumping social media to reading. you can find tons of free pdfs of books online and if you are used to reading on your phone, it won't be a difficult transition to read longer form narratives from short text posts.

there are free art apps, language learning apps, self care / journaling apps, meditation apps, etc. that you can use when on your phone. this may seem counterintuitive, getting more apps to battle certain app addictions. but, simply weakening the habit that brings you to the apps that you spend so much time on should help. but watch out for apps that claim they are to teach or better you but have social media built into them / other tricks that keep you glued to your screen. everyone is trying to mine your attention so be wary of all apps and the methods they use to keep you engaged.

9. DON’T BE AFRAID TO PUT YOUR PHONE BACK DOWN AFTER PICKING IT UP

idk if this is a weird one or not but, you know the feeling of going into a room to do something but you forget what so you putter around trying to remember? i feel like going on your phone when you have a phone addiction is often a state of that except the majority of the time you DON’T have a purpose to go on it. so even though it may feel silly, opening your phone only to close it right after is PERFECTLY FINE.

IN CONCLUSION, phone usage is pretty inevitable in this day and age. i've considered getting rid of my phone entirely but, between the expectation to be constantly reachable from employers to QR code menus at restaurants, it just doesn't seem reasonable to get rid of my phone completely. and i will readily admit its convenience and functionality is life changing and wonderful.

however in late stage capitalism, technology doesn't only work for you but it harvests you -- your data, your habits, your time, your attention, your wants, your needs, your thoughts. even leftist spaces with good intentions can trap you (doom scrolling). when i was becoming radicalized during the beginning of the pandemic i spent sooo much time online reading about all these horrible truths of imperialism, colonization, and capitalism, and i felt it was my duty to share these horrors with other people to radicalize them. but it was so unhealthy, especially when shit hit the fan (which it was like constantly doing) because everyone was posting about the horrors and it felt utterly inescapable.

after following some of these steps (which i did in stages over the course of a few years), my relationship with social media has improved greatly and my mental health is actually significantly better. all of this is based on personal experience and observation and this post is specifically for people who want to cut down on phone usage, it's not supposed to be a preachy post that's telling people they spend too much time on their phone.

it's also nowhere near complete. it doesn't tackle addictions to games on phones nor the notorious tiktok. i said i would talk about it later and here it is. i have a chalkboard in my kitchen and all it has written on it is "tiktok is the devil". i have never seen such a commonly used app that has such a degrading effect on all of its users. and it set a precedent to all other social media apps for autoplaying videos that demand user engagement. i was on tiktok for a little less than a year and the way that it would sap anywhere from 20 minutes to over 3 hours of my time when i told myself i'd only watch a few videos was insane. as an aspiring creator i felt that i needed to hop on it to get recognition but now, i don't see it as anything more than a tarpit to trap as many people as possible in its dopamine rich algorithm. but whatever, that's just my little rant. as a social experiment i think it's fascinating lol and i for the creators it's benefited im very happy for them.

anywayy, i hope this helps someone if it gets any attention at all lol. remember no one can make the decision of how you spend your time on or offline but you. not some stranger on the internet, not corporations, no one. you are in control of your time (well besides the whole having to work most of your waking hours to survive but that's what communism is for yayy).

#tumblr #social media #social media addiction #phone addiction #capitalism #dystopia #important #i hope at least one person reads this 😭 #but forreal distancing myself from my phone and being more present in my life has improved it sooo much #cannot emphasize this enough #also phone addiction is not a morally bad thing just like any addiction!!! #the irony of me posting this and then staying on the app waiting to see if it gets engagement #ahhh addiction

[alwaysbewoke]

#Facebook #instagram #threads #social media #social media addiction #family Guy #lOL #social media attack #china #russia #iraq #iran #lmao #humor #funniness #laughter #comedy #hilarious #funny moments #laughter therapy #humor therapy #smiles #laugh out loud

[justinkonstantin]

#social anxiety #phone addiction #social media addiction #melanie martinez #melanie littlebodybigheart #depressing life #teenagers #lana del rey #alternative indie #melanie k12 #melanie portals #billie eilish #lil peep #lana del gay #derealization #depersonalization

[narlie-aspec]

the realisation of how addicted i am to social media makes me wanna delete all the accounts for good. same goes for youtube, tv shows and mobile games. why am i such an addict??

#social media #social media addiction #digital entertainment #digital entertainment addiction

[fitgothgirl]

I am, as I’ve often been, torn about my internet usage. I do love things about tumblr of course, but one thing I’ve been thinking about is this urge to scroll. Even when I’m not really in the mood for tumblr or hardly paying attention, I just physically crave scrolling. This'll continue even when I’m caught up on posts; I’ll go to reddit or the news to keep scrolling somewhere and that’s even worse lol. I know FOMO is a part of it for sure, but I also feel like I’m searching for something... I guess just distraction, entertainment, anything to get that dopamine hit one gets when scrolling upon something that sparks interest in any way (even negatively). But I’m not thinking about that stuff in the moment really, or even if I am, the urge of “well, I’m just going to go check real quick...” seems so harmless and logical, regardless of how recently I’ve checked or other things I need/want to be doing.

I always think about what if the time I spent online each day was spent reading instead; I’d actually be the bookworm I envision myself to be! Or even just life in general - so many things could be different. Hell, even if I just switched my internet time to TV/movie time, I’d be enjoying tons of shows/movies I’ve always wanted to watch that have been on a perennial list. I wish it were that simple though.

#ADHD doesn't help! #mine #internet addiction #internet detox #internet break #social media addiction #social media detox #social media break #doom scrolling #doomscrolling #addicted to scrolling #scrolling addiction

[fuckingwhateverdude]

internet brain rot

#this is why i got off everything im articulating im articulating #does anyone feel any positives at all #is this just me #my writing #my writing tag #social media #internet brainrot #social media addiction #internet addiction #original poem #poetry #spilled ink #capitalism #social commentary #on social media

[cringelordofchaos]

I spend EIGHT HOURS on social media ON AVERAGE

THAT. is certainly NOT ok uhhhhhhhhh

#social media addiction #i guess #sucks to be je #vent? like among us? #<- only somewhat #I KEEP #I KEEP YELLING MYSELF #THAT ILL GET A LIFE #AND THEN I DONT DO IT ????

[moodlevoodle]

posts like these are the only reason i haven’t deleted all my social media and ran away to live in the woods

#I LAUGHED WAY TOO FVKINH HARD #my post #:3c #social media #social media addiction

[charles-breaks-beakers]

Tiktok's tactic really backfired with me. Sure, I got kinda stuck in it at first, but soon out of nowhere i started finding it boring and overwhelming and now i rarely open it. Follows, likes and comments didn't work either. Just posted something out of boredom that accidently got much more attention than usual and my follower count doubled and the comments got too many and i got even more overwhelmed and now i open it even less.

Posting this for anyone who feels any social media has too much power over you. Don't be ashamed if you fall for their addictive tactics, no one's better or stronger than the other for falling for it or not. I'm just saying all this as a reminder that these systems aren't as smart and overpowered and scary that we have no chance against them and that there's nothing we can do. They don't take all the intricate ways humans work and think into account. Everything they do has a logical explanation and can be understood, and once you understand how they work, you have the power. You can outsmart them. Or say "I don't like what this does to me. Imma quit it."

You have the ability to think outside the systems. You are in control. You can do it.

#social media #tiktok #social media addiction #addiction #anti tiktok #attention span #mental health #positivity

[wrathsofgrapes]

Social Media, Sousveillance, and the Self (The Three S’s!) REVISED AND BASS BOOSTED

Preface: I posted this as a gaggle of thoughts some months ago, which you can see if you scroll down just a little bit on my blog. These thoughts were decently unorganized and months later, after slow broiling and marinating these thoughts some more, I decided to turn it into a real conjecture of sorts.

Very special thanks + shoutout to my philosophy professor Daniel Rodriguez-Navas for his careful, thoughtful, constructive, and encouraging guidance throughout the development this paper.

Most young people are socially expected to have a form of social media now, and especially expected to have some form of personal information be public. Many find it strange if one does not post photos of themselves online. Most of us, generation Z, are expected and encouraged to contribute to this massive user-curated database, and in exchange, we are able to receive more attention than what was previously fathomable in the form of likes, shares, and comments. This attention is addictive, debilitating, heart-wrenching and hyper-fixated. It has never been possible in human history to access this many people at once, to be heard by this many people and hear this many people. The digital space has never been “natural” - though depending on particular definitions of “natural”, the transhumanist may argue that the digital space is the next step in evolution; an extension of the human realm. But we were not eased into this digital realm, we were thrown, many of us at a very young age, into this realm with a violent and perverted amount of freedom, enticed by information overload and the addiction of attention. The societal over-exposure to the current climate and habits of social media platforms has had not only a detrimental effect on users’ physical health and self esteem, but has also created an uncanny simulacrum of the ways in which we interact and present ourselves with/to others in real life. The incorporation of social media in our everyday lives has solely transformed the ways in which we love, hate, cry and laugh, prioritize - at others and especially ourselves. 

The new product of attention has become a pinnacle of desire; and we pay with sensation, with shock, with beauty and individuality. When these technological experiments first came out, our young, malleable, dissatisfied minds were the first to latch on. Our parents critiqued this, which made the project even more successful. But it is not a phase like our parents said it would be. They caved. All it took was a few years of normalization - advertising, attention, and they too, became hooked. A 2021 Pew research center study found that 91% of US adults aged 30-49 use online platforms, slightly decreasing in ages 50-64 with 83%, and 49% in adults aged 65 and up. We no longer even have an ancient antagonist to complain about “kids these days”. It has become all free and liberated, no shame in this addiction because the algorithms have improved, proved to be impenetrable in its strategy. 

What we now value is increasingly impacted by the digital sphere, riddled with advertisements for particularly desirable lifestyles. With a life revolving so much around the aspect of the digital realm, and with the digital realm being created on the foundation of capital pursuit, value is no longer personal. Life and culture are no longer personal. The personal is no longer personal. Lee Artz, author of “Global Entertainment Media: A Critical Introduction” describes how world culture no longer stems from local cultures, created by people. Instead, TNMCs (TransNational Media Corporations) create a culture based off of the pursuit of production and wealth, skillfully peppered with some features of local culture for the sake of relatability and familiarity, sold under the guise of “cultural diversity”. 

The transaction is subtle - we buy a fix of attention, a sense of connection in exchange for personal information, the more intimate the better. Post a photo of yourself - better if you are wearing less, better if you are doing something vulnerable, intimate, better with more controversy. A 2018 study by Bell, Cassarly and Dunbar examines the extent to which young women aged 18-24 posted self-images that were sexually suggestive and its correlation with the amount of “likes” and online engagement one would receive. The results concluded that this type of positive engagement on sexually suggestive photos encouraged young women to post more of them. As young people have been subject to this reward system for longer and whilst our young minds are still developing, we have a heightened sensitivity to this type of social reward. The oversharing of one’s sexuality and body essentially transfers ownership, or feeling of entitlement to the consumer, who possesses the power of encouraging it, or negatively engaging.

It’s not only sexualization that receives this engagement - the new phenomenon of oversharing personal information on the internet, especially now that less people are choosing to stay anonymous on the internet than ever before, has become essentially a new norm. Simply opening the Tik Tok app will present you with people in their homes, talking to the camera about intimate, vulnerable, and often embarrassing stories in full detail. The fascination with this seemingly raw and unfiltered form of content, or sexualized content, taps into a different type of perversion in the human psyche; this type of content, because it is in a way so humiliatingly honest, welcomes the most brutal responses. Though many love informational oversharing, with netizens commonly expressing that it makes them feel better about themselves, or relieved in its relatability, a 2022 study concluded that informational oversharing stems from anxiety and alienation from society, where people desperately try to find intimacy, attention, and relatability in their vulnerability.  “Better to shock than to bore” - or relevance over irrelevance, has become the subconscious logic. Relevance is emphasized more than ever now, where even “normal” people have a fixation on “staying relevant”, much like a celebrity would traditionally have. The “digital footprint” is no longer about reservation or preservation, it is about sensation and impact. That’s the new age of fame, and it is stupidly easy, stupidly addictive. 

I feel like this newfound addiction to attention and instant gratification has shifted our collective values. We value privacy much less, in favor of attention. Social media platforms have taught us that we can receive a great amount of attention, validation, and discourse just by trading one’s privacy, the value of which has been artificially decreased by TNMCs just as the value of fame/exposure has been artificially increased. 

The strategy of self advertisement is now learned by young adolescents before, or even instead, of the strategies of self preservation and self protection. No real cyber literacy is taught - it is simply learned through experience. Older generations and very young children do not have the years of developmental experience infiltrated by the digital space to garner an awareness of the real-life-to-digital dissonance. The two are not as easily separable to someone naive to the difference of impact they have. The digital space gives one, in a way, the illusion of ultimate privacy, almost like it encourages the exploitation of your deepest vulnerabilities. You can tell your innermost secrets out loud, alone, in the comfort of your own room, and be heard and seen by millions. Accounts of very young children or older people often go viral because their personas online are often either the most vulnerable pure reflection of their reality, or they are presenting themselves in a very obviously curated way, where they naively act like how they think people on the internet should act. These types of accounts are almost always loved by the public in an exploitative or patronizing way, where the humor lies in the fact that they do not act on social media in the way that shows a sense of “getting it”, part of this dreadful post-ironic, terminally blasé attitude that has plagued those with experience-based, shame-based digital literacy. I propose that this attitude is formed out of self protection, or a need to present oneself as somebody who is impenetrable in vulnerability.

The internet is where anything is said mostly without real life consequences - and this is another large aspect of why the digital space is addictive. One gets addicted to the honesty, which coaxes you into delving into and producing opinions that one would not think of producing in real life. Because of this honesty, people often purposefully think of things to critique and reasons to attack. But this is also a product of the oppressive real-life social norms of courtesy and the overbearing expectation of niceness. The digital realm is, in a way, a solace where we can reject that. But that freedom of communication is simply on the other extreme end of the spectrum of healthy communication. The pendulum never stops in the healthy middle. I often like to think of all my social media comments as if they were being said to me, in person, by the people behind these profiles. They usually have photos of themselves publicly posted. They say vile things because I am not real. To them, and funny enough, oftentimes to myself as well, I am just a monkey that is dancing on the circuit board inside their phones, in their pocket, accessible at any time and able to be deleted at any time. I am so beautifully insignificant, so temporary, and yet it inexplicably gives me a sense of a permanent presence - a stable one, that will not fade. I am not immune to the fetishization of fame.

Schlosser identifies self presentation versus self disclosure; self presentation being a goal-oriented, strategic, and curated presentation of the self, with self disclosure being sharing factual information to another about oneself, regardless of its impact on one’s social reputation. She finds that the internet gives affordance for self disclosure due to the option of anonymity, but also discourages disclosure through unfiltered and open audience feedback. Through personal observation, I believe that the issue is more complex, and calls for a more nuanced discussion than whether social platforms promote or discourage presentation or disclosure - because this discussion suggests that there is no blurred line between the curated self and the objective self. Even in a non-social media context, it is hard to differentiate between genuine and performative behavior, since it is so hard for a subject to differentiate and admit to it. With how engrossed most people are within their digital selves, I will argue that it is all presentative - and that even content that feels like disclosure is self presentation. Is there really no motive in disclosure, as Schlosser puts it? 

Maybe disclosure is innocence - a naieveté that is ironically revered and unironically feared. With the internet being an automatic concrete archive of one’s opinions and expression and a machine that almost always guarantees a consequence, there is a saying that has emerged in recent years: “be careful of what you say on the internet”. This is referring to the fear of getting “canceled” for saying something problematic, or to the possibility of publicly embarrassing oneself whether in action, speech or aesthetics. When people have an understanding of this ruthless internet system, everything one says and does on the internet is purposefully curated, with extra care in the desired effect of the content. Even when content is created for the purpose of self-degradation or self embarrassment for humor, it is still careful to not be too vulnerable, or too weird. 

Referring back to my earlier observation of how content from young children or older people who do not necessarily “get” the internet often go viral, I think that maybe this form of simple, naive, innocent and vulnerable content is the only true disclosure that exists on the internet - unintentional disclosure. Unintentional disclosure also can come forth in times where one may try to present a lie to consumers, and are proven false. I believe that this is why these videos and posts go viral - we all truly do love disclosure. We love honesty and vulnerability, proof of humanness and unintentional subjects of endearment. I do believe that my current generation is striving for real human connection, closeness, and earnest communication in this epidemic of loneliness, spearheaded by the cave-like illusion of comfort that technology brings. We’re just scared - I know I am - because who wouldn’t be, as involuntary test subjects for mystifying technologies? 

Altman and Taylor proposed the social penetration theory (SPT), where surface-level relationships can develop into much deeper ones, where the seal of intimacy gets penetrated, in a sense, through the sharing of personal information - self disclosure. The goal within self disclosure is social penetration, which is more present than ever in the context of social media, except social media does not give the affordance of other strategies to gain social penetration - such as a slow, gradual relationship, face-to-face contact, and mutual acknowledgement. Since content creators do not have these other affordances, I will argue that they feel the urge to go to extremes with a performance of self-disclosure, for the main goal of social penetration, creating parasocial relationships. 

The parasocial relationship is the driving force of the use of influencers in modern day advertisement. Simulating intimate, honest relationships is what the content creator strives for, because that is what creates the most engagement and makes for the best product endorsements, encouraged and funded by TNMCs. It is what the consumer also loves to consume, because without the added aspects of social penetration such as a slow, gradual relationship, face-to-face contact, and mutual acknowledgement, the consumer is able to have a fundamentally not whole but idealized version of the curator, where the curator’s personality can seem much more wholesome, specified, honest and relatable than the personality of anyone that the consumer could know in real life. 

The influencer blurs the line between “normal” person and celebrity. Celebrities used to be elusive creatures, where a sighting of them outside of a movie or magazine was considered fascinating - because celebrities used to be untouchable. They were Gods rarely among men and worshiped for their unapproachability. The influencer in the digital age has fundamentally transformed the concept of fame into one based not necessarily on traditional talent, but on social penetration, controversy, and very importantly, attractiveness. Even traditional celebrities are now, in recent years, joining social media platforms to engage with fans in a parasocial way - to show that celebrities are just like us! They eat food, shit it out, and have bad hair in the morning! We have all found out how profitable it is to be human - but not too human - that now, even the Gods have come down to earth to cash in. 

Even if consumers are aware of these dynamics in their media consumption, they will still often choose to engage positively in this system. 54% of young Americans would even become an influencer themselves if given the chance, because of how it is advertised and idealized. The parasocial relationship has created a simulation of what a person should be, due to the lack of affordances for actual human connection whilst simulating a version of human connection that is advertised as better than a real human connection - but I will argue that in reality, digital social penetration, or maybe even the illusion of it, fails to satisfy real social needs, but instead of this dilemma spurring people to seek out in-person connections, the instant and effortless gratification of a digital parasocial relationship makes users simply seek out a surplus of it.

My image, or at least the image I carefully project, has been seen by millions. Millions now have a specific perception of me - two-dimensional and dictated by an altered fraction of my legitimate self, locked in time. But what is the legitimate self? The digital age has created a larger gray area in the concept of “self” and “individual”, widening the hole that capitalism has created, where one is not only a product, but a walking advertisement. We now express and define the self through sousveillance, and often do not know ourselves without it. The self has come to be defined as the density and reaction of digital perception. Sometimes people no longer know who they are after their popularity leaves them. Late stage capitalism, bass-boosted by new technologies, has made individuals to be solely defined by reaction - because reaction is what creates transaction, what creates currency, whether it be a fix of mental gratification or actual money. I cannot think of anyone who would possibly like to admit it, but there is certainly a present attitude of “if you don’t exist online, do you even exist? Why wouldn’t you want to be online?” Why wouldn’t you want to partake in this addictive algorithm, endless scrolling, information overload, stimulation overload, and the promise of attention? You are weird if you don’t.

 With the value of personal information going up, and the value of privacy going down, with people believing that they are so insignificant that their information does not matter - I will refrain from using that as a main talking point. The promotion and investment into the advancement of social technologies almost feels like state-funded propaganda, but I also will not get into that talking point in fears of sounding like a crazed conspiracy theorist. The main issue is how it has shifted our entire social attitude, and has deeply affected the social dynamics of communities and circles in real life. Human connection is strained by image and obsession. It is strained from a disembodiment of the self and the environment. We now have to control our social lives online (transcending location and social boundary) as well as our social lives in real life. Because of how personal one’s social page seems, and how unintimidating and easy it is to contact anyone, there is no secrecy left. And some of the world’s greatest stories revolve around the beauty of secrecy.

This conjecture is not just to say that everybody should return to analog, and that the digital age has not had its glorious moments - but social media tries to convince you that the main purpose of your patronage to their platform is connection, fun, and inspiration, while the purpose is really all capital. And because we, the 21st century, have become test subjects for these new, cruel, untested technologies, there was truly no restriction or boundary on who was deemed able to access essentially this panopticon of positive/negative reinforcement, and content from every dark crevice of the world. This promotion of self exploitation has wedged its way into being a priority for many. Friends become friends and lovers become lovers based on aesthetics, image, and attraction. The curation of a profile is just as important as the curation of the real self. The curation of a profile becomes the self. The line between who one is online and in real life is becoming more and more blurred; people try to mold themselves to act in the way they are able to online. Online, one is free to lust and lie and hate and obsess and love. Online, one can be confident, sexy, loud, carefully vulnerable, relentlessly controversial, smart, beautiful, mysterious, careless, carefree, detached, ethereal and unreal. But maybe humans were not meant to be all of those things, all at once.

Author’s note: If you read to the end of this, thank you, and if you’d like access to the bibliography please PM me! I would have liked to make this longer - there’s so many things I could have gone on and on about. I’d also love to hear any comments or questions or general feedback.

#social networks #social media #philosophy #sousveillance #surveillance #instagram #tiktok #digital literacy #media literacy #theory #social media addiction #attention economy #parasocial relationships #panopticon #influencers #cyber literacy #sociology #anthropology