As an analytical person and former psychologist, I’ve always been fascinated by studying human behavior—especially in the digital age. The idea of sharing one’s life online is an entirely new phenomenon, unique to this century.
While reading “Hatching Twitter” (though I’m not convinced we’re getting the real version of that story), one of the early chapters mentions that no one would feel comfortable sharing their life online. Today, that thought seems almost bizarre when you consider how nearly everyone is doing just that. However, I’m left questioning how beneficial this has been for humanity as a whole.
I find myself comparing this to the invention of electricity, which fills me with awe and a sense of advancement. But when it comes to the tech revolution and its effects on the human mind, I have my doubts. The original intention of social media was to make people feel more connected and less alone, but paradoxically, it feels like people are more isolated than ever before.
Last year, I took a significant step back from social media. I shut down my online business, deleted all social media apps from my phone, and nostr:npub1dtgg8yk3h23ldlm6jsy79tz723p4sun9mz62tqwxqe7c363szkzqm8up6m can vouch for this—each time he showed me something from one of those apps, I felt disgusted with what the world had become. During that time, I felt truly free, as if I had finally taken off a mask. However, I also noticed an odd side effect: I felt disconnected from the world. I wasn’t updated on what my friends were doing, and I missed that sense of social interaction, even if it was superficial.
One of the most intriguing aspects of social media is how followers, likes, and engagement seem to dictate people’s sense of worth and relationships. People can become genuinely offended if someone they know unfollows them, to the point where they may not want to maintain an in-person relationship anymore. It’s as if the virtual world is dictating real-life connections: “Oh, you unfollowed me? I guess we can’t be friends in real life.” It’s a strange, almost absurd shift in human interaction.
Another bizarre aspect of social media is the idea that people who don’t resonate with you—or even dislike you—can still follow your life closely. They can see what you think, feel, and do daily. Ex-lovers and people from your past are just one click away from finding out what you’re up to nowadays. This level of access to personal information still feels surreal to me. How much information we handle and share without second thoughts is, frankly, unsettling.
In the end, while social media has undoubtedly changed the way we connect, it raises the question: has it truly improved our lives, or are we more isolated, less authentic, and increasingly detached from genuine human connection?
#FoodForThought #AskNostr
Btw, GM Fam🌹
I can definitely identify with everything you’re saying here.
I put it down to growing up in the 80s and 90s when social media wasn’t even a thing.
I wonder if this is even an issue for younger generations who are born into social media as we know it today?
Just a thought.
GM 😊
I totally get what you mean. Growing up without social media definitely gives us a different perspective. Sometimes I wonder the same thing—whether younger generations, who’ve always had social media, feel the same disconnect or if it’s just second nature to them. Maybe what feels overwhelming to us is just normal for them. It's an interesting shift to think about!
Yes, a very interesting shift to think about whilst also living it at the same time. In that sense we are privileged to have gone/going through both experiences.
I guess our parents could say the same when comparing certain aspects of their lives to ours, and our kids will do the same with their kids, and so on…the ever evolving circle of life ♾️😁
