I’ve been finding more and more in my own life, social media desensitizes our natural experiences in the world. In a day and age where our brains are over-stimulated not just by work, not just by television, not just by the advertisements on the side of the road, not just by the strip malls, but also by sitting in front of a computer/mobile device for an hour or two on end.
Lets think about just in one day, how much information enters and is processed by the human brain. It’s quite a bit. Now think about how much of that information was relevant to anything you were doing today, tomorrow, next month, next year. It filters itself out doesn’t it? How many ads of (insert any airline) can one look at in the NYC subway before enough is enough? I’m not going to the Netherlands anytime soon even if there is more legroom in economy extra. I don’t even fly economy extra…wouldn’t pay for that rip-off. (Sidenote: Amsterdam is truly an amazing place, one of the most character-rich cities I have ever seen)
Case in point…we are inundated with a wealth of information and for what? Social media, I believe, is one of the largest offenders of this. Granted, a lot of good can come from social media and it is a useful tool for those that know how to use it. But would I be on any platform if it weren’t beneficial to my business?
See the issue I have with social media is that it’s simply not real. It’s all marketing. You can be the most hated man in your community, but since you stole those pictures of your kids from your wife’s account, to the world-you look like father of the year. In today’s day and age where transparency is King, I don’t see room for marketing gimmicks, be it personal or professional.
By being engaged with digital images and videos wherever we go, we miss out on the real thing. Your brain has already reached a level of stimulation and doesn’t seek anymore as it needs time to “cool down.” Therefore, when you go outside, you miss out on natural and organic experiences because you’re just not there. Brain’s been occupied. Especially when you’re walking down the sidewalk looking at your phone. Granted, we are all victims of this at one point or another. When you take a break, everything seems fresh and alive. You don’t feel “weighed down” anymore.
But I guess all I’m saying is: try and cut back on social media for a week and you’ll see the difference it makes. When I go on vacation, I make it a point to keep the phone in my room either off or in my bag. Dude, you’re in Stockholm…no need to catch the latest “Bitch be like…” Make a mental note when you’re habitually using social media…i.e. before bed, when you wake up, during lunch, etc. Try to make a conscious decision not to use social media, let alone your phone. See how you feel. We lead better lives when our minds are free..
~Tashiro~
