Notes on a Nervous Planet(18)
But we are humans. We can resist this. We can resist being confined to a little digital tribe. We can embrace life at its full bandwidth. We are finding ways to do so all the time. Yes, we might be a mess. But our strength is our messiness. We don’t do things simply because they make sense. The internet can be our ally, not our enemy, in this. The internet contains a whole world. The internet can be what we want it to be. The internet can lead us anywhere we choose. We just have to make sure that we – not the technology, not the designers and engineers able to manipulate our every mood – are the ones doing the choosing.
What people on social media think of social media
IN MY QUEST to insulate my mind from the nervous planet I began to imagine what I would feel like if I abandoned social media altogether. So, while imagining what life would be like without social media I, um, went to social media to try to find out. I decided to ask some of my Twitter followers a big, simple question: ‘Is social media good or bad for your mental wellbeing?’ The question hit a nerve. I received over 2,000 answers. They offer, of course, a complicated picture. Although, considering that these are people who are active and regular users of social media, the picture is quite negative. I mean, if you imagine asking regular book readers or cinemagoers or horse riders or hill walkers the same thing, it would be unlikely you would get such a mixed response. Anyway, here is a representative selection: April Joy @AprilWaterson
It’s both a coping mechanism and a cause for anxiety. When I’ve been anxious it’s nice to mindlessly scroll and read for distraction. But at the same time, the incessant need to post things that are 100% guaranteed to be judged by people isn’t exactly a calming thought.
Dean Smith @deansmith7
Bad. I can find myself comparing my behind-the-scenes footage (loneliness, anxiety etc) to people’s highlights reel (socialising, success etc). I know it’s not a true reflection of their lives but it can still get to me.
Miss R! @Fabteachertips
I find when I’m feeling at my lowest, I can easily lose hours to scrolling through my social media feeds in bed alone. I really don’t know why I do it, there are so many more productive things I could be doing. It doesn’t make me feel better, that’s for sure!
Immi Wright @immi_wright
I quit Facebook after I reached v suicidal levels . . . and found I started to feel more confident in myself. I guess FB often presents people’s ideal self. On Twitter I just follow rock stars and @dog_rates, so there’s far less of that to worry about.
Kieran Sangha @kieran_sangha
It’s good in the sense you can connect with others that understand what you’re going through. The downside is that it feeds an addiction, like substance abuse, and it can have the power to take over your life.
Hayley Murphy @hayleym_swvegan
Good. There’s no one, and I mean NO ONE who understands me in ‘real life’. It’s literally life-saving to know I’m not alone. Any tool used in the wrong way can be dangerous, but used in the right way it can be incredible.
Bonnie Burton @bonniegrrl
Mixed. Good because I can connect easily with people who inspire me & whom I admire. Bad because social media ends up being a platform for harassment because there are no consequences for horrible behaviour.
Shylah Ellis @MsEels
As a kid, without social media, I basically assumed I was the only person out there suffering from depression. I felt isolated all the time and the only people I had contact with were toxic. Social media has allowed me to interact with incredible people from all over the world.
Kyle Murray @TheKyleMurray
I work in social media and while I think it has some positives, I think if I could keep up with distant friends in other ways, I’d probably just avoid it altogether. It’s been weaponized by awful people. I’ve had FB since 2004 and mostly for nostalgia factor I keep it live.
James @james____s
A quote I heard recently: ‘Facebook is where everyone lies to their friends. Twitter is where they tell the truth to strangers.’
Abigail Rieley @abigailrieley
Both. I’ve made real friends online & the support if you reach out can be very real BUT if you’re down & feeling useless it can be a window into a world you’re locked out of, isolating.
Kate Leaver @kateileaver
Mixed, but better than its reputation would suggest. Believe legit friendship can be conducted via social media, which is helpful if you can’t leave the house. Getting to glimpse other lives when you’re lonely/depressed is helpful at times.
Jayne Hardy @JayneHardy_
Both, I have to have good boundaries around it but when I manage and assert those boundaries, social media is a positive for me.
Gareth L Powell @garethlpowell
As a self-employed writer, Twitter is like my office water cooler. It’s where I go to talk to friends and colleagues. Without it, I would feel very isolated.
Claire Allan @ClaireAllan
Mixed. As a writer working alone it gives me social interaction which is sanity saving. But I think it spotlights the best & more frequently the worst of humanity so that increases my anxiety.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied @yassmin_a
It’s like anything. It can be great, but needs to be managed well in order for the good to outweigh the bad. Some of my best new friends I’ve connected with on Twitter.