Dopamine. The reward chemical attributed to, when released, changes in temperament, motivation, and even movement. It’s no secret that social media, specifically short-form content giants such as TikTok, have been attributed to addiction from the similar release mechanism that release large amounts dopamine in the brain.
Consistently scrolling, laughing and interacting with the digital landscape over and over, mimics a toxic relationship, a negatively reciprocating cycle that seems to only take, whilst you only give. This relationship is responsible for a menagerie of current changes and alterations in the societal environment of the world.
Different legislation has been made in different countries such as China that outwardly limits how long people, specifically minors, have to scroll, before being shut out for the day. This legislation, although controversial, raises a question: How exactly does one avoid such dangerous attention vacuums?
How does someone avoid the metaphorical “selling of your soul” to your screen? This discussion has been around since televisions still used antennae.
This is not an argument of how social media is inherently evil, or not worth the time. However, despite the amount of net good social media and short-form content may seem to offer at times, there is still an inherent duty to learn how to not give in.
There is a need for people, especially those of both ends of the generational gap, to understand that there is indeed a limit to how much social media is healthy to take in. A forefront example as to how overconsumption of short-form content can have an impact on its users is through an installation that often requires the most amount of attention towards it: Education.
Social media and, in more recent years, short-form content, has the ability to affect students, specifically adolescents, in ways that can limit the amount of attention garnered towards their educational prowess, and through the way they experience learning on the daily basis in general. This, specifically through how social media usage in students often corroborates with a more difficult, on-and-off sleep schedule, can eventually lead to increased anxiety.
The mediation required to approach a life that includes short-form content to live digitally in the world and find new ways to see different aspects of cultures not experienced before is massive. In the frame of this relationship, being easy to fall in love with, vital parts of human life such as a sleep schedule, are sacrificed.
This, of course, is not to say that social media is the sole cause of this. In a way, social media can act almost as a self-medication, with TikTok and Instagram Reels being dispensaries for dopamine-releasing content.
Through this self-medication, though, lies the same pitfall. Overindulging can often lead to more problems than originally present.
When looking at how younger people can experience the world, social media is perfect in that regard: being free, easy to understand and remarkably enjoyable on a day-to-day grind. There is little that one can take it at face value for, as something that can be a cause for anxiety.
Despite the emphasis that the internet and short-form content can put on connections between people, this connection can often feel “empty.” Despite realizing how much you can relate to other people through the screen, it is better to sober up and realize that there is still a great risk in constantly focusing on that connection, rather than with the connection of other people in person.
Because of how much these empty connections have been outwardly advertised, it is no secret nor surprise that people in other parts of the world can come to prefer them. After all, they offer an immediate “get up and go” interaction with people, allowing them to omit any unnecessary conversation and just ask immediately what they themselves are looking for.
As stereotypical as it may be, that connection in and of itself cannot provide all of the facets in a relationship with others. Loneliness, what with global events, the vastness of social media, and the overall environment that the world has come to cultivate in others, can force them to use something like TikTok to still feel connected.
Social media, and specifically short-form content such as TikTok, can be extremely appealing. It can help people who feel as though they don’t relate to anyone else find how much in common they have with people through their screen.
Situations such as these is what often leads to people being stuck in the idle obsession of “the scroll.” Moving past countless posts, countless statements made by others, as to how they live, or how they think other people should live. That dopamine rushed released when finding something new, or finding something that you personally agree with, can latch on and refuse to let go.
The best way to avoid this, however, is to rather use social media to reinforce connections with people you do know face-to-face. It allows for people to think about what they say much more, to say what they believe can appeal the most, whilst skipping small talk.
A rush that comes with the connection formed between people is, often, what is most sought after. This idea, and the connection to current events from it, is what can lead to people to only rely on empty connections brought upon by apps that seek to streamline the process.
