From an interview with John Hopkins
Why talk about social media when it already takes over too much of your time?
Because after working with media and mental health for over 30 years, I am finding that the effects of social media have taken over as a mental health and emotional influence, more powerful than some print and televised media. When I completed my research in the 80’s on the positive influence of TV to help children manage stress, there was no social media. Then, when I released my book Get Reel: Produce Your Own Life in 2015, social media was taking off as a major influence in individual lives.
What do you really need to know?
Based on the research, the effects of the media on the brain may put you at risk. Most recently a book by Aral Sinan from MIT entitled The Hype Machine explained why you gravitate to social media. Social media “likes” increase dopamine in the brain, a chemical that induces happiness. But what if you aren’t getting likes or worse yet, are getting a negative response or no response at all?
And how does Covid change social media now, in 2020?
During isolation you may rely too heavily or not at all on the Internet for connection, creating problems in either direction. Relying too heavily on social media may mean that you have become dependent on the possibility of likes, positive comments and smiley emojis. Why? Because of something called intermittent reinforcement. It means that you will eventually be reinforced but you don’t know when. You return to your social media too frequently to find out if there is something to make you smile, never knowing when it may appear. This inconsistent form of reinforcement is what makes social media, among other things, create dependencies. It can also happen with food, relationships, and your television, if you find yourself in situations when the reinforcement is uneven and unpredictable.
What factors determine if you will become addicted, positively reinforced, or worse harmed?
Your predisposition. If you have strong self-esteem and a good sense of yourself, you can ride the ups and downs of social media. Extroverts also seem to do well with the variance of reinforcement. But if you are an introvert, or an insecure person, you are dealing with a high-risk situation every time you look at your posts. You may not have the resilience to deal with what social media brings or fails to bring. You may need to set good boundaries about your use, assessing what and how much is good for you.
So how do you keep from becoming isolated during a pandemic?
Have a variety of activities. Go outside, start a new hobby, begin a home improvement or design project, meet with people outside and socially distanced, and best of all, strengthen your relationship with yourself! In my post 19 Ways to Be Happy during Covid 19, I talked about kindness, making someone happy today with one email, smiling to tell your brain that you are happy, taking care of yourself with nutrition and exercise, and reading. But getting better acquainted with yourself, will keep you afloat in any circumstance at any age.
So what, outside of social media, will sustain you the most now and always?
In Real Conscious Living, we speak of living mindfully and consciously, stepping back from what is in your immediate environment, and looking it as an observer. You will become less judgmental as you allow yourself to view what is happening from your observer. The observer allows your Higher Self, to observe your personal or ego self, and sees things more neutrally and gently, without judgement. This is a BIG subject and more can be learned about staying mindful with your media in GET REEL: Produce Your Own Life. It provides a roadmap for using conscious living not just with media but with life. And that map will sustain you through any pandemic or other crises.
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