Andrew Miao
Tag(s): Technology, Addiction
Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. An endless stream of content fed straight into the mouths of dopamine-starved teens. Colours start to blur, sounds begin to blend. This digital feast, where adolescents devour media, serves both as a bridge and a barrier.
On one hand, young minds around the world are able to connect with one another, pushing voices across oceans. Promoting and fostering growth among like minded youth, individuals are able to seek community in the digital world, which they might otherwise be lacking in the physical world.
However, on the other hand, the allure of instant gratification shifts self expression into a scoreboard of likes and shares. In this process, self-worth often becomes mistaken with online validation. Constant comparisons between “social media” life and “real” life exacerbate the existing doubt of self confidence. What was meant to be a platform for self expression became quickly overtaken as a stage for performance.
Perhaps a relatable experience could be the following: You have an assignment due tomorrow evening, and you’ve just arrived home from school. Knowing there’s a whole evening ahead, you decide to lay on your bed and scroll through TikTok or Instagram reels. Swiping away, you perhaps crack a smile or two, but after a glance at the time, you quickly realise that hours of your time have flown by. Thinking back, you can’t even remember the third last video you’ve watched. Deciding that it is finally time to sit down and start your work, a sudden sense of fatigue glooms over your head. No motivation left to do any work, you hop back into your bed, going through the same cycle again.
Maybe not applicable to all, but countless teens have gone through this exact experience. “This is concerning as a recent survey showed that teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media. And when asked about the impact of social media on their body image, 46% of adolescents aged 13-17 said social media makes them feel worse.”
The sense of freedom of swiping away endless does not come for free. The challenge lies in the ability to be disciplined. Social media is no different than alcohol; swipe responsibly.