10 Reasons for 'Fasting' from Social Networking Sites
What kind of effects the social networking has on you?
We often hear that the social media is the place to acquire traffic to your business. Did it happen to you that you went there and got stuck in there somewhere and never returned.
Does it really helps to drive traffic home?
The title for this article is "10 Reasons..." but below are only 8 listed.
Two very important are missing:
1. The effect it has on you as a blogger or an internet marketer.
2. What business do to exploit our addiction to the social media.
If you have something to say on the two above or any from the article, please leave your comments. I welcome any questions that you may have.
10 Reasons for 'Fasting' from Social Networking Sites
Fasting is often discussed in the context of food. There is no doubt the human body needs to abstain from food at certain intervals. There are countless benefits of refraining from eating at certain times. There is another kind of abstinence, though, fasting from social media harm. It is as important as foregoing food.
The advantages are not in doubt
It is true that Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other interactive platforms promote communication. Today, people exchange texts, audio and video files in real time. There is greater interaction and cohesion in society, thanks to these communication avenues.
People who have not met for many years can come together to share memories. Family members relive the past through mutual discussion in digital space. Charitable causes gain greater impetus and profound influence thanks to social media. People scattered all over the globe contribute to the welfare of other human beings, despite the two groups having never met in real life.
National boundaries only remain on maps. Information flows faster than before. People apply pressure on governments and institutions to act on certain issues. Mainstream media now relies on social media for breaking news.
Public and political figures are present in various digital platforms to share ideas with followers and obtain necessary feedback. Information that was unavailable before is now in the public domain. There is no doubt that there are many benefits of social media.
The other side of the coin
Life is full of irony. Sometimes the things that carry countless benefits also contain grave danger. Social media is not different. Within all the information and entertainment moving around, there is inherent peril.
1. Negative emotions
There is a lot of destructive energy in this form of communication. Some uncouth people have transferred their hatred, bigotry and racism to social media. Jealousy, cruelty and other negative emotions dwell on Facebook and the like.
Profanities and unprintable words have a home on these platforms. Words that would not come from people's mouths during normal conversations find expression on Twitter.
Social media harm is real. It turns saints into devils. People who love peace and co-existence of all communities are not happy. A glimpse into the contents of some Twitter pages yields pain and despair.
2. Lack of concentration
Another pitfall of these sites is the manner in which they affect concentration. Studies have shown that students who spend most of their time on social media are likely to fail in school. The fleeting images and vanity of social media are not amiable to academic discipline.
The domestic sphere is not spared either. Today, lovers on a date may spend more time on social networking sites than talking with one another. Homes are not safe, too. Parents and children dedicate more time to 'chats' than to one another.
3. Unhealthy lifestyle comparisons
Discerning people need to abstain from Facebook and company. This is because of the false sense of success and prosperity among users of these platforms. There is too much pretense on social media that some users get carried away. They tend to consider themselves less successful than their friends.
Peer pressure is prevalent and pervasive. Someone uploads pictures of a lavish lifestyle. Friends and acquaintances become envious. They cannot understand why they are not as successful. They begin to feel miserable. Some slip into despondency and depression.
4. Detachment on social networking sites
These platforms exist to enhance communication among friends. Sometimes, the opposite happens. People tend to become less connected to the those around them. There is a false sense of belonging to the virtual community. This detachment may lead to social ills, aggression and anxiety.
5. Addiction
The more time people spend on social media, the more addicted they become. They log in when they wake up. During the day they are on Facebook. They have to 'like' every comment and picture posted by their virtual friends. At night they fall asleep while on Twitter. They cannot resist WhatsApp groups.
6. Low productivity
Distraction and addiction lead to decreased productivity. One spends more time chatting than working. The urge to respond to a post by another person prevents one from working. Everything else takes a back seat. Workers who chat online most of the time may not meet deadlines or deliver quality results.
7. Food Porn
What an interesting term! This is part of the addiction that happens on Twitter et al. It is ridiculous how people take photos of their meals and post them online. Social media harm is evident when people develop compulsive eating behavior out of watching what others eat or pretend to eat.
Some viewers of food images cannot control themselves. They go in search of the fancy food they saw on Facebook. They have to eat for the meal or snack they see on Instagram. This will place them at par with their friends on respective sites, or so they think.
8. Privacy concerns
The urge to share everything exposes one to privacy invasion. People who share their private matters online may find the same information exposed. Some Jilted lovers share nude photos of their former friends.
Shameful pasts pervade the Internet for all to see. Private issues that were shared between friends in the past now become public matters. This is likely to cause depression and withdrawal on the part of the 'exposed' party.
'Fasting' - the logical choice
There are many benefits of social media, but sometimes more harm than good happens. When these platforms become sources of pain, discouragement, depression, hate and other vices and negative emotions, it is time to make a decision. 'Fasting' from these platforms, even if for some weeks or months, is advisable.
How much would one pay not to be on social networking sites? Is it worth losing a job? Should one give more time to children and their spouses instead of Facebook? These are crucial questions worth pondering. As they say, too much of anything can be toxic.
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I use social media for business mostly and that in itself is a lot of work! However one can really get addicted and caught up in it. Thanks for your post!
Thank you for input, Grace! Exactly!
I started to use Instagram, for example, exclusively for business, because I was told it's a must. I spend myself several hours now simply browsing the pictures of friends and others. It takes several hours sometimes to put something there of my own. The audience is growing but also the amount of time I spend there...
Yeah you gotta watch your time on there, it really takes you down the rabbit hole if you're not careful and then another hour of your life gone! Lol
True! What I also observed that it becomes your life. Sometimes, I put my smartphone down, close the lid on my laptop and then I realize I don't know what else to do and it feels like I want to go right back ...so I grab the phone and start going through unread email, check notifications from websites ...and, another day of my life is gone... :))
Haha... yes that happens to me too! :)