I know, it’s an insane suggestion. So insane, that you probably threw whatever device you were reading this on as far as you could because it was such an insulting idea. Well, in the case that you can still read through the shattered remains of your once proud screen, I’m not saying that you should ditch every bit of technology you have and go hit some rocks with a stick. It’s more of a suggestion to cut down on usage and reliance where you can. There’s quite a few good reasons for it. 

You might be addicted and not even realize it. “What? Me? No way.” Yes, you. Most forms of social media are designed to give you that chemical surge of dopamine when you get a notification. I mean, who doesn’t love getting those likes? That ding of instant validation is actually quite addicting and poisonous, though. 

With that surge of dopamine, said sites promote having as many superficial relationships as possible. With a greater use of social media, genuineness becomes harder and harder to find, almost creating an artificial loneliness to the real world. 

It is a massive numbers game. You go look at a profile and one of the first things visible is their follower count, snapscore, or whatever comparable thing every social media site has. It’s just how social media works. It heavily promotes comparison between you and your peers, and comparison is almost never a good thing. 

So yeah, for the 20th time, social media does have a ton of downsides, but it has many many upsides as well. The phrase “with great power, comes great responsibility” is true for us as well as Spiderman. No one is suggesting going full caveman, but it wouldn’t ever hurt to take a step back away from the mystical land of social media.