Technology

“Human connection is vital for survival. We’re programed over millions of years of evolution to connect with other people,” says Anna Lembke, a professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. But Lembke says social media companies have essentially exploited our need for human connection.

Yes, and replaced it with a shallow substitute. We might seek company, engagement and chatter ("social warmth"), but end up wasting our time in comment sections, ultimately making us experience less of what we acutally needed.

Lembke explains that social media has taken the work out of how we connect with other human beings, placing that effort online and adding three major ingredients: novelty, accessibility and quantity, making scrolling a very potent drug.

I also see similarities to gambling, which are also present in online dating apps. There's this thrill, that every next scroll or swipe might reveal something very interesting! The craving for confirmation, to get positive feedback, or any feedback.

Social media poses a risk to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.

Probably not limited to this group, but they are especially vulnerable, yes.

More than 95 percent of people ages 13 to 17 in the country say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say they are “almost constantly” using one.

“We are living in the middle of a youth mental health crisis in America. And my growing concern is that social media has become an important contributor to that,” Murthy told The Washington Post.

In the absence of laws against overuse of social media platforms, Lembke says, the responsibility rests on parents and users. She recommends identifying the particular type of digital media that is affecting us and eliminating it for four weeks, as a sort of dopamine fast.

“We’re not saying to eliminate all devices and all social media or even all media, but to identify the ones that are problematic and eliminate those for four weeks, which is on average the amount of time it takes to reset reward pathways,” Lembke said.

No comment, just wanted to pull it in here to give it more visibility.

Another related thought: Modern media is designed to catch and keep our attention. It serves us high intensity experiences, which are very easily accessed, anytime, as often as we want. Using it routinely accustomes our brain to this stimulus, it defines a normality of brain chemistry.

Other things in life might be ultimately more rewarding, more what we actually want, but lack this artificial opium tent atmosphere. Reading a book, playing guitar, spending time with friends, calling a relative, studying for an exam, crafting something, making your home nice and comfy.

It can become hard to gather enough motivation for these activities which are not as high pitched. Boredom might be a solution to this. If we consciously abstain from the easy drug, deprive ourselves from cheating our happiness, the void makes other activities seem more attractive.