by Jared Harding Wilson
Lately, I keep hearing everywhere how dangerous social media can be—warnings about addiction, mental health hits, and especially how it might be making us feel more isolated despite all the “connections.”
For me personally, I don’t use it very often. My main go-to is YouTube—I watch videos for learning, entertainment, or just relaxing, without getting sucked into endless scrolling or comparing my life to others. But I’ve noticed it big time with people around me who do scroll endlessly on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. They’ll be at lunch or in the same room, heads down in their phones, and real conversations just… fade away.
I’ve heard a lot about how the constant comparison is bad or harmful—that seeing everyone’s highlight reels can make you feel like your own life isn’t enough. Recent studies back this up: passive scrolling often leads to more upward comparisons, which can tank self-esteem and ramp up feelings of loneliness. Interestingly, platforms like YouTube (more passive watching) have been linked to higher loneliness in some research, similar to heavy feed-scrolling apps.
So, dear reader, I’d love your feedback: What do you think? Is social media really making us lonelier, or does it depend on how we use it? Have you felt that comparison trap, or has it brought you closer to people?
Share your honest thoughts in the comments—let’s talk about this!
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There are a lot of factors at play. It partly depends on what you mean by “social media.” I don’t think of Youtube as a typical social media platform, though some may. Is WordPress social media?
Without belaboring that point, yes, I think there is some pretty convincing evidence that social media use has negative consequences for certain populations. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt outlines this in detail in his book, “The Anxious Generation.” With graphs and charts even and a host of interesting contributing factors.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Yes, I pretty much feel the same about YouTube, but it’s still kind of in there. I thought about adding WordPress as a question to the group to see what people might think. Would WordPress be considered social media? I personally felt to see it more as like news or articles. But I’m curious to see what other people think as well.
Thanks again for sharing! And I hope you had an awesome new year!
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