To be healthier 6 things help us notice the dangers of social media.

It’s fascinating to watch the intoxicating effects of social media apprehend the attention of adults that often lecture their children about spending “too much time” on addictive devices.

The latest temptation, Clubhouse.

I jumped in a room several months ago to support a friend that was doing a live podcast.

Many of the participants admitted to spending between 40 and 90 hours a week on the platform. In fact, some recent studies suggest those estimates are accurate.

I was amazed and bewildered about these confessions.

I can assure you, the successful entrepreneurs I know aren’t spending that much time on any social media platform.

We can easily make an argument about the importance of developing brand awareness by leveraging these platforms intelligently.?I believe they offer incredible opportunity if used "wisely".

However, anyone spending 40 or more hours per week building a presence on a platform they don’t own is probably not using time efficiently.

I believe ego and other temptations drive the appetite to devour endless hours of content under the auspices of "growing a business" But is it really making our business more profitable or improving our quality of life?

There's no right or wrong answer, only we can decide.

But we do need to get better about understanding the dangers of social media and setting firm boundaries with technology.

Here are 6 things that can help us notice the dangers of social media:?

“I think there should be regulations on social media to the degree that it negatively affects the public good.”?– Elon Musk?

Addictive

Many experts are torn about the addictive nature of social media.?However, plenty of studies have demonstrated it’s highly addictive.?Nottingham Trent University has identified mental preoccupation, escapism, and mood modification as warning signs people are using social media too much.?Studies at Swansea University show a strong correlation between anxiety and too much social media.?Regardless, anyone spending 40 hours or more a week wrapped up playing patty cake on Clubhouse, needs to reassess what’s truly important in life. Just my opinion.

Sadness

Similar studies have revealed that people feel sad when they over consume social media.?Happiness and life satisfaction drop.?Some speculate social apps create feelings of isolation, which is one of the reasons Clubhouse had become so popular during COVID 19.?Hearing human voice is primal and it strengthens the perception of human connection.?This perception of proximity is strong, but it’s no substitute for real human affiliation.?After 50 hours a week on clubhouse, people still feel alone and crave the next encounter. ?

Comparisons

Making social comparisons is mentally unhealthy.?However, when we sit in a room and raise our hand with the hope of getting on stage, it creates anxiety.??It also creates the impression that people on stage are "really important" and "better than we are”.??Oddly enough, most of the people "on stage" have simply decided to spend 40 to 90 hours a week “gaming” the platform.?When we assume the people with the most followers are successful, we generate a downward direction of self-worth based on assumptions.?It’s negative, unhealthy and can lead to bouts of depression.????

“Social media is not a safe space.”?– Tarana Burke?

Envy

Social comparisons also create feelings of jealously and envy.?When we listen to people bloviate on Clubhouse, we get the impression their successful.?Most are desperately struggling to build a business based on becoming “influential”.?When we get trapped believing everyone we see with big followings has life figured out, it’s easy to feel envious.?Envy and jealously are dangerous emotions that often lead to anxiety and depression.?

Convinced

Like anything addictive, it’s easy to convince ourselves if we aren’t on social media we are missing out.?This creates an unhealthy pattern of returning to a platform with the assumption of experiencing satisfaction.?Often, we feel worse.?Like anything addictive, we predict an outcome that's inconsistent with reality.??????

Disconnected

The funny thing about “more followers”, people assume those metrics are equivalent to increased happiness.?They aren’t.?Without real human connection we reside in a world where self-worth is determined by artificial parameters.?Likes,?comments, shares and big rooms with multiple moderators become the litmus test for success.?Real relationships take time and considerable effort.?Feeling more connected artificially is often just the opposite.?It makes us feel disconnected!????

“Our attention spans have been reduced by the immediate gratification provided by smartphones and social media.”?– Katherine Ryan???

Sum it up.

Any other warning signs we should recognize about too much social media? ??Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.??Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming.?Steve is an author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success.?Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn. ?Learn more about my work and grab the free Weatherology mobile app by clicking any picture in this article!