Of course social media has changed lives dramatically. It has positive effects on life but only if used within a certain limit. If it consumes more than preferred time, it has a lot negetive effects on life. So my intention is to acknowledge you about all such negetive effects.

Source: Pixabay

A research has lead to a conclusion that anyone who spends more than 2 cumulative hours on social media platforms are prone to poor mental health including psychological distress, anxiety and depression etc. This research and conclusion made me think and study deeper into it.

The Science Behind Crazy uncontrollable Social Meadia Addiction:

Our nervous system uses a lot kinds of neurotransmitters for proper functioning of mind and body. One such neuro chemical is the “Dopamine“. This neurotransmitter is also know as pleasure chemical because every time it is released you get a pleasurable feeling. This chemical boosts your mood up and helps you to have a sense of pleasure. Every time someone gives you thumbs up or comments on the media content shared by you, Dopamine is released by your brain which gives you a pleasurable feeling.

Source: Pixabay

This means greater the number of likes and comments on your social media share, greater of the quantity of the Dopamine is released. There is one major issue with this neuro chemical that it is highely-highly addictive. So once your neuro paths are conditioned to release dopamine w.r.t. any kind of stimulus (likes, comments), it gets really hard to control the behavior (a curiosity to look for more likes and comments). When your brain cells are exposed to repeated supply of Dopamine, they becomes addicted to the pleasurable feeling associated with it.

So to gain greater pleasure, your nervous system requires continuous dozez of this chemical which in turn forces you to look for the stimulus. This becomes an addiction and you are forced internally to continuously flick through social meadia platforms and find a stimulus. This addiction is absolutely similar to other addictions like alcohol, drugs, tv etc.

Brain has a wonderful trait, it always and always want to be in a happy state. It runs after anything that gives it pleasure and it goes away from the pain. When dopamine level goes down, You are addictively forced to repeatedly take your mobile phone out and check your facebook, whatsapp, instagram, tweeter etc to find new update, new comment and new likes etc. And if you find any like or comment in your favour, the dopamine level goes again up and make you feel pleasure.

But if you find any comment that is not favourable to you, the another chemical Dynorphin is released which causes the stress and depression. The situation becomes similar if an alcoholic addict is forced to keep away from alcohol or a drug addict is kept away from the drug.

So here is a clue for you, if it pleases you great to get a like or comment OR if you find it pleasurable to peep into social meadia pages or apps, you are also under this dangerous attack.

Source: pixabay

The Side Effects Of Social Media:

  • Loosing control over your happiness.

      This happens when your happiness depends on how much likes and comments have been given to your shared picture. For example, let’s say you bought a new mobile phone which you were planning to buy for last 1 year. You bought the device because you loved it. Then you share it’s picture and features on facebook and your friends on facebook gives you a lot of thumbs up and post beautiful comments on your shared pic. The Dopamine is released and you will feel very happy and pleased with your choice of device.

      But what if opposite of above happens? Your friends don’t give you much likes, post negetive comments and even make fun of your loving choice. Dynorphin is released by your brain and You will start regretting your purchase and will start feeling sad. It means the device will make you happy only of your facebook community approves it. Ultimately you have lost control over your own choices and happinesses.

      You have let the social media community control your happiness. You will feel happy only and only after social validations. Your own likes and dislikes matters no more to you to to be happy. It’s just what the virtual community will validate.

      • You start observing your shortcomings over others blessings. 

      As we all know, people mostly share their best experiences on facebook. Even before sharing their own selfies, they usually pick one of the best from dozzons of them. Ask yourself, you too share the best of everything. It means everyone like to share the best of happenings of their life or just the best experiences.

      This means when you observe your social media community, you will just be looking at the best of best experiences of their life not at the other side of their lives. So your observation will take you to the conclusion that everyone on your facebook is happy.

      Source: Pixabay

      But the problem happens when you start comparing your own life ISSUES and SHORTCOMINGS with all the happinesses shared by others. You start feeling like everyone known to you have awesome life and are happy where as you have got so many challanges and bad experiences in your life. This makes you feel your life too small and unworthy compared to others.

      Facebook and other social media have become a major reason of depression among people, especially in teens and youths. Be careful about yourself too.

      • Real relations and friends suffer a lot.

      People have started spending more and more time with social meadia acquaintances. Due to this they compromise on the time due for real life relations,  friends, family, relatives etc. Real life relationships have more importance in your life because in your day to day life affairs real life relationships will serve you to live a healthy social life. Social media relationships are mostly another face of the crowd who have no care for your life.

      • You become addicted and become a part of addicted community.

      This can be understood best by Pareto Principle, which says 80% updates on social media are shared by 20% of people and they are mostly the social media addicts. So when you start responding and communicating with all such people at the same frequency and start spending more time, you too become addicted and unknowingly join the community of addicts.

      • You develop a myth of being socially active.

        Some people think that if they are socially active in facebook, they are socially active. The reality is quite opposite. People spending most of the time on facebook usually gets disconnected socially because they don’t spend much time to their real life relationships.

        I have observed that people who say hi-bye to ofher people online but usually avoid meeting those same people in reality.

        • Adverse effects on health

        A much has been written on this subject. People spending greater amount of time on social meadia attracts a lot kind physical and mental problems to them. They may suffer through depression, hopelessness, may attract adverse effects on eye sight and various posture related issues.

        • Waste of most emerge days 

        Of course, teens and youth contribute to more than 80% of social media users worldwide. This age is most productive and most energetic part of life. What a person will be or will be able to achieve is totally dependent on how he/she uses this part of age. Young age lays the foundation of life. Spending more time on social media means compromising on important days on important aspects of life, which by no means can be recovered later. Spend your time carefully.

        • Becoming victim of social media warfare

        I remember the show “Viral Sach” aired on ABP News. This show like many others, is a result of Social media being used for spreading rumors across public. Social media has become a new war ground now a days. It has become a new battlefield for all those who have their own propagandas. The reliability index of News or updates shared on social media is falling continuously. People who spend more time on social media remain far more away from realities.

        People without checking the validity and reliability of such rumors become part of hate driven propagandas. Anyone who uses any social media platform for more than 1 hour may start feeling like this world is no batter place to live anymore. And all this is negativity being spread on social media.

        Dear Friends, life is really beautiful. Majority of People, no matter of what country, are still awesome. Majority of people no matter of what religion or of any community are still loving and wonderful. Do not believe everything you see or come across on social media. Do little research and validate the facts. Do not share anything unless you yourself are satisfied with the facts.
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        Manoj Sharma

        Writer, Trainer and Motivator

        10 Comments

        Etsuko Calles · September 11, 2018 at 3:09 pm

        With thanks! Valuable information!

        Daniel Rajwani · September 10, 2018 at 1:32 pm

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        Caitlin Umana · September 7, 2018 at 4:19 am

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        Marlana Colbaugh · August 2, 2018 at 10:07 pm

        With thanks! Valuable information!

        Monika Langworthy · August 2, 2018 at 1:11 pm

        With thanks! Valuable information!

        Donn Evanoski · August 2, 2018 at 1:11 pm

        With thanks! Valuable information!

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