Social Media as Harmful as Drugs

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
Staff member
Joined
May 18, 1997
Messages
54,450
You know what the problem is with you damn millennials, besides being on my lawn, is the fact that y'all don't get down to the bar near enough! Put the phone down and go have a cold one, or two, before you irreparably harm that gray matter further.

The digital age has changed the nature of addictions in millennials, who have replaced one maladaptive behaviour with another. Social media certainly looks as if it has replaced alcohol as a way of social interaction with others. It is perhaps no surprise that, over the past ten years, there has been a 20% rise in the proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds who are teetotal. Ten years ago it was 17%. It is now 24%. Spending time online now seems more desirable than spending time in a pub with friends.
 
Why not both! As a current user of hillbilly heroin... I mean Oxycodone, I can confirm that my Facebook use has gone through the roof.

I struggle to concentrate enough for meaningful thought or anything more than 200 words long, so social media is perfect for disengaging brain etc. You need that on the 3rd day with no sleep.

Definitely all a strong reason to want the pain to stop, Facebook is rotting my brain way more than the drugs.
 
It's human nature I think but I don't know what it is about people who aren't AWARE of themselves. There's always that small voice inside, isn't there, that says, "Maybe I should get out tonight." I used to MAKE myself go out at 19, when I couldn't even drink, because I didn't think spending an entire weekend playing Everquest was healthy. Now it's worse with Facebook, this false picture of people's lives CAN'T be good for self-esteem, even when you know it is false, it still has an effect.
 
I don't know about you, but going to a bar here DEFINITELY isn't any better than being addicted to facebook.

DEFINITELY not safer either. The only place I can go to a bar and expect people who are there to socialise and not just drink/the "maids" is Ireland, and I don't do it nearly as often as your average Irish person.

I only consume alcohol once a year nowadays, otherwise I stay completely off it.
 
Blakestr said:
It's human nature I think but I don't know what it is about people who aren't AWARE of themselves. There's always that small voice inside, isn't there, that says, "Maybe I should get out tonight." I used to MAKE myself go out at 19, when I couldn't even drink, because I didn't think spending an entire weekend playing Everquest was healthy. Now it's worse with Facebook, this false picture of people's lives CAN'T be good for self-esteem, even when you know it is false, it still has an effect.
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I don't see what's wrong so long as people mutually realize that it's people selectively presenting the best of their lives. It's fun, in a way.

People not being able to realize that is a whole other issue...
 
yyv_146 said:
I don't see what's wrong so long as people mutually realize that it's people selectively presenting the best of their lives. It's fun, in a way.

People not being able to realize that is a whole other issue...
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But don't you see, people don't realize that. It's never stated or even implied. It's setting a trend because we might forget that we are 'faking it.' The filter is getting finer and finer and eventually we will forget it is there. You have to remember that we are biologically wired to compare our lives to those of others. Our animal brain will get jealous or become bitter, even if our human brain knows it's all fake.
 
Blakestr said:
But don't you see, people don't realize that. It's never stated or even implied. It's setting a trend because we might forget that we are 'faking it.' The filter is getting finer and finer and eventually we will forget it is there. You have to remember that we are biologically wired to compare our lives to those of others. Our animal brain will get jealous or become bitter, even if our human brain knows it's all fake.
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I'd say there's more to it than that. There's an old saying "Tell a lie enough times and before long you'll believe the lie."

Beyond that, too many people using social media post just about anything and everything about their lives. This simply means they are basically putting their lives out there for everyone to see and for it to be recorded forever. That's only going to bite you in the ass in the long run. Something that seems so insignificant now may not be so insignificant to you a year or five years or ten years down the road.

At least in the case of the heading out to a bar and having a few with friends, it's not as likely your actions are going to be recorded for the world to see and know forever. Beyond that, most people are less likely to lie and bullshit about their lives to someone's face. It's a lot easier to do that when you think of it as nothing more than a post on a website.
 
Blakestr said:
But don't you see, people don't realize that. It's never stated or even implied. It's setting a trend because we might forget that we are 'faking it.' The filter is getting finer and finer and eventually we will forget it is there. You have to remember that we are biologically wired to compare our lives to those of others. Our animal brain will get jealous or become bitter, even if our human brain knows it's all fake.
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Hmmm...you could include this stuff in social ed (or whatever equivalent class) in middle school or something.

The thing is that nothing is good for you if used without filter or moderation. A bit of alcohol livens up the party. A bottle of Jack Daniels everyday destroys your life. But the difference is that people will tell you to smoke less or drink less or even not to run triathlons too often since it tears up the cartilage, but nobody is going to tell you to use social media less.

Ultimately the solution is probably having friends close enough to you, so that you're reminded that their lives are also occasionally a shitshow. Keeping it real, I guess?
 
SmokeRngs said:
I'd say there's more to it than that. There's an old saying "Tell a lie enough times and before long you'll believe the lie."

Beyond that, too many people using social media post just about anything and everything about their lives. This simply means they are basically putting their lives out there for everyone to see and for it to be recorded forever. That's only going to bite you in the ass in the long run. Something that seems so insignificant now may not be so insignificant to you a year or five years or ten years down the road.

At least in the case of the heading out to a bar and having a few with friends, it's not as likely your actions are going to be recorded for the world to see and know forever. Beyond that, most people are less likely to lie and bullshit about their lives to someone's face. It's a lot easier to do that when you think of it as nothing more than a post on a website.
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I remind my students to not have too many photos of drunken debauchery on their facebook page. Even better, just turn off your public profile and set a request filter when comes job season. Employers can and will look at profiles of someone fresh out of college. Also to refrain from posting political opinions that are too far left or right of center, if at all. It's a free country, but again people will see and make judgments. If anyone is going the entire 100% BS route, they have bigger issues than social media.

Embellishing the record isn't inherently bad. We do that day in and day out. The problem is that people chain their self-esteem to that image.
 
yyv_146 said:
Hmmm...you could include this stuff in social ed (or whatever equivalent class) in middle school or something.

The thing is that nothing is good for you if used without filter or moderation. A bit of alcohol livens up the party. A bottle of Jack Daniels everyday destroys your life. But the difference is that people will tell you to smoke less or drink less or even not to run triathlons too often since it tears up the cartilage, but nobody is going to tell you to use social media less.

Ultimately the solution is probably having friends close enough to you, so that you're reminded that their lives are also occasionally a shitshow. Keeping it real, I guess?
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I asked my wife to start using it less, that counts right? Yes, close friends are important, but close friends in RL, that you call.

We agreed to put down the phone and forward to a landline quite a while ago, I've read too many studies for it to be coincidence social media is ruining our society. I mean I knew, and have known, and never jumped on board with myspace etc. but sometimes you gotta lay that ish out.
 
SmokeRngs said:
I'd say there's more to it than that. There's an old saying "Tell a lie enough times and before long you'll believe the lie."

Beyond that, too many people using social media post just about anything and everything about their lives. This simply means they are basically putting their lives out there for everyone to see and for it to be recorded forever. That's only going to bite you in the ass in the long run. Something that seems so insignificant now may not be so insignificant to you a year or five years or ten years down the road.

At least in the case of the heading out to a bar and having a few with friends, it's not as likely your actions are going to be recorded for the world to see and know forever. Beyond that, most people are less likely to lie and bullshit about their lives to someone's face. It's a lot easier to do that when you think of it as nothing more than a post on a website.
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People arebless likely to lie while in a bar than online? Have you ever been to a bar? Oh, the tales you'll hear. Also, if you spend enough time in a bar, you'll almost certainly end up in court, either as a witness or defendant.
I somewhat agree with with you on oversharing and the possibility of certain things being used against you later on, but I find it unlikely for the majority of people and things they share.
At the end of the day, I still would take the pint at a pub over social media any day.
 
The problem isn't social media, it's gaming. Once we put limits on gaming, everything will be right in the world.
 
I dunno, I don't quite get the whole impressing people on social media...I normally use Facebook to share things I find funny or share hobby related things...not as a hey look at me I'm great thing.

The bigger issue I see is people who use their phones in a social setting instead of interacting with their friends/family directly...I'm guilty of it at times myself, but sometime the subject at hand is pretty boring or its my dad saying the same story over and over...and I'm almost 43 :p
 
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