Avid social media users pull the plug
Social media is a great platform to stay in touch with friends or to make new ones, but for some, it’s nearly impossible to disconnect.
More than two billion people in the world have active social media accounts, and the average user spends about two hours a day on a social media outlet.
KRDO NewsChannel 13 put two avid social media users to the test to see who could pull the plug on social media for a week.
William Campos and Devin Joy both told KRDO they used social media, particularly Facebook, more than they’d like.
“It’s a compulsion. You just automatically do it,” Joy said. “Pretty much anytime I have downtime, and I don’t have anything else to be doing. Like, if I’m not working or at school, that’s pretty much what I’m doing.”
“It’s become disruptive. It’s become destructive,” Campos said. “You have to be a self-disciplinarian and say, ‘Hey, I need to back out of there.'”
A 2011 study in the Journal of Pediatrics linked Facebook use to signs of depression, especially in younger users. Social media is also a common forum for misunderstandings, lost friendships and break-ups.
“It can be dangerous, because you don’t see a smile, you don’t see someone raising their eyebrows. All you see is black font on a white background,” said Dr. Lauren Brengarth, an assistant professor at UCCS who specializes in strategic communications.
Brengarth said the link between social media and depression is still being studied, and some studies have shown conflicting results.
While Campos said he had no problem disconnecting for a week, Joy found it harder to resist.
“I totally cheated, and I went on to wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” Joy said. “I do it every year, and I would have been really bummed if I missed it, so I cheated.”
Joy said she found the urge to check Facebook diminished as the days went on, but she also realized the benefits of social networking.
“Social media is really helpful,” she said. “It helps you get in contact with a lot of people.”
Campos he said he found the experience was relaxing.
“The week wasn’t challenging at all,” he said.
Campos recommends others take a social media hiatus to make sure they’re using social media as a tool and not a lifeline.
