How has social media changed our lives?

Introduction

The internet has made our lives easier and more productive, but it’s also changed them in ways we didn’t expect. In this post, we’ll explore how social media and the internet have impacted your life.

The Social Dilemma

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, but we often fail to consider the consequences. We're taught that we're hardwired to be social creatures and that it's in our nature to form relationships with others. But as humans, we also have a strong desire for self-preservation and self-interest—an innate selfishness that can get in the way of our social needs.

So how do we balance these two competing desires? Social media offers a solution: It allows us to fulfill our need for connection without having to sacrifice any of our own self interests or privacy.

Socializing on the internet

We've gotten used to the idea that social media is a place where people go to connect with other humans. Yet, if you scratch beneath the surface of this world, what you find is a strange and unsettling universe populated by bots and virtual zombies.

There's nothing wrong with liking someone's post in theory, but when it takes less effort than it does to make actual human contact with another person (and this is true even if they're sitting right next to you), that's when we need to start asking questions about our society's values and priorities.

If you want proof of how much social media has changed our way of life, just look at how often people check their phones: one study found that 40% of millennials check theirs every hour (or more often) throughout any given day—and 65% do so every 30 minutes or less! That's an average rate of over 150 times per day!

The dopamine loop

The dopamine loop is one of the most important concepts you need to know. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s released by your brain when you experience pleasure. It also helps regulate your mood, making it an essential part of how we feel happiness or sadness.

Dopamine is known as “the pleasure chemical” because it gives us feelings of euphoria and makes us want more of whatever it is we just experienced (like eating a cookie). But there’s another side to this chemical: if dopamine levels get too high, they can cause addiction and lead to cravings for things like drugs and alcohol (yikes)!

Looking for validation

You’re not the only one who is looking for validation. We are all looking for validation. We want to be liked, we want to be heard, we want to be seen, we want to be understood, and most importantly—we want to be loved!

We need people in our lives who will love us unconditionally and support us through thick and thin. It’s so important that we find someone who truly understands us as human beings because it makes life really enjoyable!

The rise of influencers

You're about to enter a world where influence is everything. Yes, every day your social media feeds are filled with influencers who have large followings and can make or break brands, products, and even themselves. Influencers don't necessarily need to be celebrities; they can be regular people who simply know how to promote themselves on social media. They may have been paid by brands or companies to promote their product or service—or they might not have been paid at all. Either way, their followers will trust what these influencers say because they've built up trust through the years on social media by consistently posting quality content that resonates with their audience.

Data collection and privacy

Data collection is a big issue. Companies want your data, and they’re collecting it in a variety of ways: by tracking what you do on their apps, by buying information from other companies that make the apps in order to create profiles on you, and by selling your data to third parties. It’s an industry worth billions of dollars.

The information is used to sell products and services to you based on your buying habits, interests, and location (which can be determined via GPS). It helps companies influence election outcomes through targeted ads tailored towards specific demographics or individuals with certain traits or beliefs that are more likely to vote for one candidate over another. And this type of manipulation doesn’t stop at politics—it extends into our personal relationships as well.

It’s never been more important to know when to put your phone down.

In the past, it was easy to put your phone down when you needed to; after all, there weren't any phones. But now that they're everywhere, we feel like we can't do anything without checking in on social media.

But the truth is: unless you're actually getting out and meeting people in the real world—and not just adding them on Snapchat—you're not interacting with others at all.

This trend has made many of us feel isolated and lonely despite being surrounded by so many people every day (which is why some studies have shown that depression rates are rising). Even worse? It's led us to become addicted to our smartphones and smartphones alone!

Conclusion

We’ve seen that social media is changing the way we live our lives. It can be both a blessing and a curse. It's clear that in this day and age, it's important to be aware of how much time you're spending on your phone or computer, as well as what kind of content you're viewing online (especially if you have young children). But as long as we make conscious choices about how much time we spend online and what content we consume from there - whether professionally or personally - then I believe it will continue being an amazing tool for communication!