*Social Dilemma 2.0*

Once a person asked Buddha, what is Poison? Buddha replied, "Everything excess in life is Poison."

Have you checked your Insta Account today? Or Facebook feeds or anything else? If yes, it's Fine, we are social animals, we have to interact and react with our ones. Technology elevates our daily means of communication to the next level, bringing enhancement in social connectivity. Wait! But, do you have a trivial habit of scrolling through a never-ending post? Addicted to playing games? Or online gambling? Then there is the matter of concern. 

As per the study says, addiction to social media on the blue screen has adverse effects – low self-esteem (developing inferiority complex), increase in isolation(loneliness), forming FOMO (fear of missing out), disturbing sleep pattern, reducing working efficiency, loss of personal attention, psychologically addiction and noticeably many more. 

When a tired brain watches something interesting, more dopamine secrets which makes us to spend more rewarding and pleasuring activities which ultimately results in the developing habit to spend time on Mobile Screen. The signs of smartphone addiction are: constantly checking the phone for no reason, feeling anxious or restless without the phone, waking up in the middle of the night to check the mobile and communication updates, delay in professional performance as a result of prolonged phone activities, and distracted with smartphone applications. 'Virtue Signalling' is the term that means showing off on social media (about behaviour, lifestyle, etc.) which is different than the real nature of that person, mainly for Like, Comment, and for social applause.

You can become so accustomed to scrolling through posts, images, and videos that it interferes with other areas of your life. 

Talking at the ground level, there are serious drawbacks to social media. Do you know the Sulli Deal-Bulli Bai case, which happed a few months earlier? Women of a particular religion were targeted on a social platform. These platforms work as a dark den for hatemongers. Social Media is being used to fulfil political agendas, one year ago, Protesters attacked Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. during the reign of Donald Trump, which was known as one of the biggest conspiracy planned on social media. Cyberstalking is another serious problem that happens every second, which is of grave concern for parents of teenagers and kids, especially to girls, because it has increased the number of kidnapping cases(trafficking).

Though social media's job is to connect people, its main goal is to make money. They gather your data, show results according to your previous searches, and then trigger on your weaker emotions, to engage you in their business. It's a game about all your Time and Attention.

- Kunal S. Putale

Image Courtesy:

img1. insights.som.yale.edu

img2. freepik.com