Is my attention span rubbish?
Is it making me more lonely?
How will it impact my kids?
Is it hurting my mental health?
These questions have been on my mind, not just because of my own use, but because I worry about others who might be more vulnerable to its effects. Social media hasn’t had a major negative impact on me personally. In fact, over the past few weeks, I haven’t used it much at all. Not for any specific reason—just felt like taking a break. And honestly, I haven’t noticed any real difference in my mood or mindset. But my break has made me think more deeply about how social media might affect people differently.
As a parent, I’m particularly curious about how it could shape my kids’ lives as they grow up. And from a professional perspective, I’m increasingly wondering: What role do organisations have in protecting people from the potential harm of social media?
The Research on Social Media's Impact
So what's the actual deal here?
Fortunately, we now have some solid research on the topic, and it offers a clearer picture of what’s really going on.
Here are a few snippets that are significant:
Attention Span: Over the past 20 years, our attention spans have dramatically shortened. We now spend an average of 47 seconds on a task before switching to something else. This constant shifting not only reduces focus but also increases stress. It looks like there are links to social media here.
Mental Health: Social media use is linked to higher impulsivity and stress. However, while heavy use can make some people feel crappier, the connection between social media and serious mental health issues like depression is weaker than headlines suggest.
Loneliness: Surprisingly, the research shows that people who use social media more often aren’t necessarily more isolated. In fact, they may spend more time socialising offline too. So, while social media doesn’t seem to be cutting us off from friends, it’s probably displacing other activities, like reading or hobbies.
One of the biggest challenges underpinning these issues with social media is how addictive it can be. Just like slot machines, it operates on intermittent rewards—those likes, comments, and notifications that keep us coming back for more. Every time we check our phones, there’s a chance we’ll get that dopamine hit, making it harder to stop. Research even shows that social media taps into the brain’s reward system, making us crave the next like or comment. This design isn’t accidental—platforms are built to keep us engaged for as long as possible, which is why it can feel so hard to put our phones down, even when we want to.
What Can We Do?
It’s clear that social media affects us in different ways. For some, it’s a tool to connect and unwind. For others, it can lead to stress and unhealthy comparisons. Here are some steps we can take as individuals and organisations to mitigate any harm:
For Individuals:
Set Boundaries: Limit your screen time, especially during work or family time. Create phone-free zones in your life.
Be Mindful: Notice how you feel before and after using social media. If you find yourself feeling anxious or stressed, take a break.
Curate Your Feed: Follow accounts that uplift or inspire you, and unfollow those that trigger negative feelings.
For Organisations:
Encourage Digital Breaks: Promote regular breaks from screens during work hours. Consider phone-free meeting policies.
Foster Deep Work: Help employees carve out focused, distraction-free time for important tasks, and reduce unnecessary task-switching.
Educate Teams: Share insights about how social media and tech use can affect attention and mental health. Empower employees with strategies to stay balanced.
While social media has the potential to harm us, it’s not unlike many other things we’ve created—like cars, planes, or even electricity. All of these innovations carry risks, but over time, we’ve learned to manage them. With cars, we added seatbelts and created road rules to keep ourselves safe. Planes come with safety protocols, and electricity is harnessed through regulations. The same goes for social media. To mitigate the risks, we need to establish our own 'safety measures'—whether it’s setting boundaries, educating ourselves about its effects, or creating environments that support healthy usage. Just like driving a car, social media can be safe if we understand the rules and take the right precautions.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been wondering about the impact of social media on your own life or your colleagues, now might be the perfect time to take a closer look.