By RARZACK OLAEGBE
210 million people are addicted to social media globally
He was inseparable from his phone. For five years. He had no conversation with his wife and children. For five years. He was addicted, not to his phone, but to social media apps. His marriage was at a breaking point. Then, his mother-in-law intervened before his wife could file for divorce. A caller shared this pathetic story on the Fintex Show, which I produce on Nigeria Info 99.3 FM every Monday.
All the radio callers had the same stories of social addiction. They are hooked. They cannot get off. One caller lost his wife. Another lost his job. One lost his sanity. One caller, a pastor, shared how his wife regularly scrolls through her phone in church while he is preaching. Every Sunday. His wife is addicted. Are you a social media addict? I am not a therapist. Do not expect any counselling here.
On the one hand
The social media business has been through the grinder lately. Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a series of increasingly dramatic lawsuits. This week, Meta settled a case that is history making. It agreed to pay about 18 billion dollars [N14 trillion] to settle a lawsuit that claimed it made its apps addictive for children, ‘’even though the firm knew it would hurt people’’.
On the other hand
About 210 million people are addicted to social media globally. 34 million social media addicts reside in the United States. That is 10% of Americans. Maybe the changes Meta agreed to make to its platforms may tackle the issue of social media addiction. Maybe.
In the long term
For instance, Meta has agreed that users under 18 will get a mandated social media bedtime that disables the app. Besides, some features [which psychologists say are bad for self-esteem, such as beauty filters] will be hidden. However, according to reports from Tech Coded, the biggest news is ‘’kids will be able to turn off the algorithmic feeds on Meta’s apps’’.
Purists have said that the content recommendation systems have turned Instagram and other social media apps into a digital casino. Meaning: you cannot stop using them. As a digital casino, it could ruin your life. As the story above shows, social media addiction is real. You cannot overemphasise the stress level it generates. From my conversation with some experts, there is a psychological and technological angle to this addiction. If you are suffering from low self-esteem, social media will turn you into a narcissist.
Facebook’s beauty filter feature is your artist. If you are shy and cannot hold a conversation with a group at a party, your escape route is a social media app. Do you want to ignore some friends and be lost in an unreal world, plug into a social media app? However, with the option to disable Facebook, the internet and social media will change forever.
This does not mean social media is safe. Facebook will be here. Instagram will be here. Snapchat will be here. Where do you belong in the social media arc now? This is the beginning. No one knows where ultimately it will stop.
In the short term
Digital casinos are harmful. Ditto social media addiction.
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