A Rant On Social Media Bad Practices

When Facebook launched, it promised something revolutionary. Connect with your childhood friends or find them.

It meant you could stay in touch even if things go distant. But now there is the availability of phone and email to everyone. Now, you probably use Facebook to watch memes or just scroll to do timepass.

Nothing wrong here. But you have to realize the interests of Facebook have changed and so is your behaviour.

They want to keep showing you things you like. So you keep scrolling and make advertising dollars.

It is no longer their priority to stay in contact with friends. Indeed, you might have 5000 friends on Facebook and you won’t be talking with anyone. Often, followers and likes have become a game of status and nothing more.

Tricky Message

One of the worst things social media companies does is trick you. For example, for notifications – they will display the message as ‘turn on’ and ‘remind later’. But to ‘turn off’, you have to go in settings and find it hidden.

This way, most people would have their notifications turned on and thus they can disturb more.

Another thing they do is when installing the apps, all the permission would be turned on by default. And if you don’t want them then you can turn them off.

But they are taking advantage of human behaviour – most people won’t bother going in settings. So, they trick you to use them more.

You can use this test to see if social media is there to help you or to make money from. If it is later, then it will be filled with tricky messages.

Self-Aware

Now mindless surfing on social media is fine. As long as you are self-aware and have options.

But often, the social media companies suck you in and give you no option or at least the illusion of it. Coupled with the fact that you have a smartphone from being a kid, your behaviour stays.

Now is the best time to revisit your habits. And devote some time to do nothing. Because creativity comes from boredom.

Dopamine Game

Everything is designed in such a way that you get a dopamine release. Over time, you expect life to be like that. Instead you should opt for serotonin release – long term satisfaction.

Because every company is targeting you, left, right and center. Now, you have an abundance problem – too much of everything.

At this point, remember you aren’t missing out on anything, most things aren’t urgent and control the things, apps around you and not vice versa.

Define yourself with long term success which releases serotonin in you. And not chase short term hits, often fake which releases dopamine in you. Ignite connections, make something and be self-aware.