From about 1920 to 1970, smoking was very acceptable. It became increasingly prevalent and was even portrayed as something fashionable. It was very common to see people smoking; it was as normal as asking for a cup of coffee today.
It was not something known at that moment to be so hazardous to our health. We now look back at those times and can’t believe it was possible.
So what if that was a couple of decades ago? What is that “something” today that we will look back and say, “How was that possible?”
Social Media
There is a huge amount of information in the world. Thanks to the internet, that information is available to us easily and conveniently.
I think one of the modern-day paradoxes is that even though we are able to learn, practice, experiment, iterate, and basically solve many of our problems with just a computer and an internet connection, people are drawn and distracted by social media, which does absolutely nothing to help improve their lives.
The Nicotine Scroll
Just as we know that nicotine is the ingredient that makes us very addicted to smoking, there is also a component in social media that is also hijacking our brain circuitry, making it addictive. In this case, it is the “Infinite scroll.”
Think about how when you read an article like this, when you reach the bottom of it at the comment section, it’s over. You get to decide if you want to read something else or click back to the home page, etc.
But then this “innovation” came through: What if instead of being “over” at the end of each piece of content, article, video, image, just another piece of content loaded up, and then another and on and on… to infinity…
That simple and apparently harmless innovation hijacks how the brain processes and receives information. Now combine that with the algorithm designed to show more of the stuff you are interested in.
The Casino Effect
The nicotine scroll, powerful as it is, is just one component that makes social media platforms addictive.
Another strategy that casinos use is called intermittent rewarding, where you play and play the slot machine, and sometimes you’ll win something but you never know when you will win.
That gets you hooked, and how not to? Is messing with your brain dopamine.
Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok have figured that out, but instead of prizes as in casinos, they get you hooked for likes, messages, posts, etc.
The dealer doesn’t get high on his own supply.
Now if you think this is all by accident and that social media platforms are not doing this all on purpose to get your attention hijacked… think twice.
Think about why all of those platforms are free of charge. Remember the quote:
“When the product is free, you are the product.”
How do all of those platforms make money? Advertising
How do they get those Ads to be seen more? More time on screen, more eyeballs!
You are the product!
Now if you still don’t believe it, consider the following.
It is known that the founder of Facebook and Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, doesn’t allow his kids to be on social media.
Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, didn’t let his kids have an iPad.
Chamath Palihapatiya, who helped develop Facebook, won’t let his kids near any social media platforms.
Think of modern-day possibilities that were nonexistent just a few years ago.
We could download an app for learning Italian. Not just that but the app design could be optimized for better learning by audios to improve pronunciation.
We could buy the top 3 books on any category that interest us: Personal Finance, Investing, Health and Fitness, Yoga, Architecture design, etc. Thus learning and improving by 100%+ our knowledge on any topic.
If we need to build an online business, you could have your own website up and running in a couple of hours for less than $80 USD.
Want to learn how to repair your fridge? Or how to change a tire? Or what things your new hedgehog can eat? Just look it up, problem solved in a couple of minutes. If still unsure, YouTube will even show you how.
You would think then that in this modern era, with so much information available, everyone is a modern DaVinci, crafting projects, solving their life problems at ease, and having all day for their own interests, as they already managed to make money online.
Because information is power, right?
We could be doing all of that, or watch funny cat videos and strangers doing stupid nonsense.
Guess what most people spend most of their time doing?
Danger in developing brains
Time spent on social media by teens between ages 13-20 is 4 hours and 50 minutes a day, almost 5 hours.
There is another hidden risk to this for younger teenagers.
They are in a critical period of brain development characterized by heightened neuroplasticity. This constant exposure to rewarding stimuli can have significant effects.
During adolescence, the brain undergoes substantial changes in structure and function, particularly in regions associated with impulse control, decision-making, and social cognition.
Excessive use of social media during this period can hijack the brain’s reward system and potentially disrupt normal development processes.
Studies have shown that excessive use of social media among teenagers is associated with a range of negative outcomes, including increased risk of depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, and decreased academic performance.
Opportunity Cost
If all of that wasn’t enough, just think of the opportunity cost of doing that every day for almost 5 hours.
What else could that time be spent on?
30 minutes reading a book on a subject that could better your life in some way?
25 minutes for learning a new language?
1 hour of learning how to code, invest, write?
1 hour of going out to play a sport, run, exercise?
20 minutes meditating?
20 minutes talking to the opposite sex and learning social skills?
Heck, all of those things done daily for years would compound to massive results over time, and it didn’t even take 4 hours!
TikTok Conspiracy
If you think this sounds crazy, just 2 days ago the U.S is considering approving a new law banning the use of TikTok in the United States.
Why? Well, there are multiple reasons, one of those being that TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, which of course keeps most of the data and the real operations enclosed and not open to the US government.
They worry the messages or propaganda that can be pushed through the app, as they have no control or say over it.
There was another interesting theory I heard about by Patrick Bet David, where he mentioned in China TikTok was showing students doing math, people crafting interesting projects, useful and informational content.
Meanwhile, TikTok in the U.S. is all about people doing stupid dances, dumb funny videos, girls with few clothes, animal videos, etc.
Basically poisoning the minds of the young people by dumbing them down.
Take care.