15 things that could happen if social media disappeared

A whopping 52 per cent of adults in Australia say that they get their news on social media at least occasionally, according to ACMA data. Why? It’s convenient, first and foremost, but it’s also interesting to see other people weigh in on a story. Still, while it’s nice to not have to hunt around to figure out what’s happening in the world, some of the information on social media may be inaccurate. Plus, when “information finds us,” it can feel impossible to disengage from it.

At a time when everyone appears to be busy all the time, we’re all looking for effortless ways to be more productive. And while there are plenty of ways that social media can be productive – including some of those discussed above, like advocacy work and collaborative learning – spending time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other apps can also be a major time-suck. How much time, exactly? According to data from eMarketer, in 2021 so far, adult social media users have spent an average of 1 hour and 35 minutes on these platforms each day. Though that’s probably not entirely time that’s wasted, think of all the things people could do with that extra hour and a half every day.

When it comes to social media, there’s this idea that you’re at least somewhat in control of your personal information, based on what you decide to post and share with the world. But according to a 2019 study conducted by researchers at the University of Vermont and Australia’s University of Adelaide, that’s not entirely true. In fact, even if a person doesn’t have a Facebook or Twitter account, a surprising amount of their personal information can be gathered through posts that their friends, family members, and others have made. The researchers compare the situation to second hand smoke: even though you may have never touched a cigarette in your life, you may find yourself (or in this example, your personal information) at risk, thanks to other people. Keep this in mind the next time you’re tempted to include a friend in one of your posts.

Here’s a 10-step digital detox will help you break up with Facebook.

Admittedly, we might initially be more lonely until we remembered (or learned, depending on your age) how to schedule and plan our lives in person, on the phone, and without the help of social media. But a 2021 study published in the journal Social Media + Society found that using social media multiple times throughout the day tends to increase feelings of emotional loneliness for young people. However, social media had the opposite effect on older people – making them feel more connected and less lonely. Middle-aged adults who frequently used social media also reported lower feelings of social loneliness.

Does scrolling through your friends’ Instagram feeds make you happy? According to plenty of research, including a 2020 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, no, it does not. But, it also depends on how you use social media. Specifically, the researchers found that passive use of platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter makes us feel worse than if we actively engage with others on social media.

Why is this the case? “Passive use, scrolling through others’ posts and updates, involves little person-to-person reciprocal interaction while providing ample opportunity for upward comparison,” Derrick Wirtz, an associate professor of teaching in psychology and lead author of the study, explained in a statement. In other words, if you’re going to take the time to see how successful some of your friends have become, take the time to engage with them so you actually get something out of it, too.

Paying celebrities to endorse certain products has long been part of the advertising playbook. But over the past several years, we’ve seen the dramatic rise of the ‘influencer’ – non-famous people with large social media followings who are paid to talk up and/or use everything from beauty products to certain hotel chains. And really, anyone in our social media feeds – including friends, family members and colleagues – has the ability to impact the way we spend our hard-earned cash.

According to Top Dollar, 57 per cent of millennials say they spent money they hadn’t planned on because of something they saw on social media.

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Source: RD.com