<aside> 💡 January 7th, 2021

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It may seem contradictory for me to say that I don't use social media as I frequently post.

You are right. I still use social media.

Just not in the same way as others.

Since it's introduction in 4th grade, I observed how it affected me.

Comparison is a huge issue. Social media is a status game. People portray crafted images of themselves to everyone else. This drives you to care about others and care what other people think of you. I found that personally, comparison led me to become significantly more insecure and even suppress my authentic self.

Wait But Why writes an amazing post explaining why caring how others think of you is detrimental.

Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think (Taming the Mammoth) - Wait But Why

Not to mention that social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are designed to keep you using their apps.

To an untrained mind (like my own) it's easy to get into the loop of scrolling through hours of tik tok, instagram memes, or facebook sublte asian traits posts without noticing how much time has passed. Addiction is not uncommon, and you may notice that focus becomes harder after an overstimulating scrolling session.