Social media
Discord: why kids love it and how you can keep them safe
Learn how you and the kids in your life can use Discord safely.
Read articleAmanda Lee
Senior Program Manager, Tech for Good & TELUS Wise
Have you ever picked up your smartphone to do something quick, like send a text or check the weather, but instead find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, Instagram or other social media feeds for far too long? For many of us, this happens all too frequently and there appears to be an explanation.
The Social Dilemma, a new documentary on Netflix, explores the effect of social media on human behaviour and provides a look into the calculated features and complex algorithms of social networking platforms that keep us glued to our devices and coming back for more.
Referencing a phrase you may have heard before, “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product,” the documentary showcases how social media giants are competing for our attention (and data) and explores the dangerous, long term consequences and related ethical considerations around addiction and mental health.
The documentary explains how social media platforms serve up dopamine hits on demand, in a way that is similar to slot machines. Dopamine, the feel-good hormone often associated with addiction, is released by our brains when we exercise, have sex, eat something tasty or engage in enjoyable social interactions - including social interactions online. Capitalizing on the physiological gratification and our inherent social nature, social media features and notifications about friend requests, likes, comments and so on, prompt us to check our phones because the social interaction actually feels good. The issue is that, for many, the dependency on this gratification becomes habit forming.
In 2018, the World Health Organization classified “gaming disorder” - the impaired control over online gaming - as a behavioural addiction. The verdict is still out on when or whether social media will become classified in the same way, but what we do know is that our relationship and dependency on social media and tech is related to our physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
Researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children recently reported that smartphones and social media are contributing factors in the increase in mental health issues reported by youth, and that “social media can affect adolescents’ self-view and interpersonal relationships”. Children are growing up in a society where they spend less time interacting and communicating with their friends face-to-face and more time using social media, (and gaming and texting) and The Social Dilemma draws a linkage between the rise in popularity of social media and the rise of mental health issues among American youth.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t benefits to living in our digital world. We know that social media has taken a central role in our lives - serving as a source of entertainment, information (or misinformation) and a means to connect with others near and far - but as with anything in life, we need to achieve a balance and have control over our technology use. The thought provoking documentary closes with the former tech employees, who feature prominently in the documentary, sharing their own advice for curbing our appetite for social media. Here are some tips we’ve compiled to support and reinforce the dialogue:
Ironically, many people are taking to social media to encourage others to watch The Social Dilemma and change the way they use technology. Irony aside, reflecting on our social media habits is a good suggestion, and we encourage you to go a step further by taking time to reflect with your family on what else you can do to stay in control of your relationship with tech.
At the end of the day, social media can be a wonderful tool, but it’s critical for us to be mindful of our relationship with technology and the impact it can have on us. Learn more about how you can build and maintain a healthy relationship with technology with the TELUS Wise happiness workshop. Check it out at telus.com/WiseWorkshops.
Learn how you and the kids in your life can use Discord safely.
Read articleOmegle’s tagline is self-explanatory; people visit the site to “Talk to Strangers.”
Read articleLearn how to avoid revealing your location when filming videos for social media.
Read article