The Drug Called Social Media

Here’s why youngsters shouldn’t get addicted to…

- Bhavishya Shah

How often have you clicked on the link to a cute puppy video shared by your friend on Facebook only to find yourself watching how to make birdcalls an hour later? How often has that one extra scroll on Instagram possibly led to you stalking your kindergarten teacher you had completely forgotten? If you can relate to any of these statements, then we’re afraid social media has become a drug for you.

Let’s Psychoanalyse This

An average teenager spends over eight hours every single day on social media platforms, where Facebook and YouTube bag the top two spots for the most time spent on. Dr Seema Hingorrany, a renowned psychologist based in Mumbai, tells us all about the repercussions of social media on today’s youth, and how to address the issue.

“Firstly, too much time spent on social media leads to cognitive information overloading, i.e. too much information goes into the brain, which the brain is not able to filter properly. This is similar to a pipe being clogged,” says Dr Seema.

Secondly, we all need a time out from the hustle-bustle of our daily lives, and social media provides the much needed relief. But what we see in today’s youth, especially those spending too much time on social media, is that they’re not grounded. They are talking too fast, they’re always too hyper, and find themselves getting easily agitated or irritated. There is no such thing as pausing in today’s young adults.

Thirdly, these people are out of sync with their surroundings. They’re constantly checking their phone even during dinner with their families. They are not in tune with their own family members, all of which leads to a destructive change in thought processes and personality.