Everything that has a beginning has an end.
-The Oracle, The Matrix Revolutions
Jennifer Aniston posted her first selfie on Instagram – 8 million likes.
Dancing dog on Facebook – 28 thousand likes.
A friend changed his profile image on Facebook – 24 likes.
The average daily social media usage, according to Statista, increased by 51% in the period between 2012 and 2018. Last year we spent more than two hours per day on social networking.
Many events and projects are organized solely on Facebook. Parents self-gather on Facebook. Politics and digital marketing are happening on social channels. Family and class reunions take place with the help of Facebook, or worse, on Facebook.
In today’s world, an active presence on social media is kind of a social norm.
The “Are you on Facebook” isn’t a valid question anymore. It’s only natural that you have a social media profile. Multiple social media profiles…
A single Google search, however, shows that the social media landscape is changing, raising the question of whether the fall of the social media era is approaching.
After using iWiW (a local social media channel in Hungary) at the dawn of the social media era, I had refused to use social media for many years.
And then I failed…
Why I failed at resisting social media
It wasn’t until 2017 that I joined Facebook… but not without a reason.
The only way to participate in the Launch Team of the book 10 Steps to Ultimate Productivity was that I joined the private Facebook group hosted by the author.
As old school as it sounds, that was my first experience with Facebook.
It was a good experience as a team member, but a disappointing one from a consumer perspective. So, I remained Facebook-resistant and proudly expressed my negative thoughts about social media.
And not much has changed ever since…
What I found useful, though, was that I joined multiple private Facebook groups to learn, exchange ideas, and share my blog posts. This is the only reason that I haven’t yet quit the platform.
Years went by and my terrifying friend FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) just crawled out from the rabbit hole. I found myself glued to the screen every evening wondering whether there is something new on the private Facebook groups I joined.
What a shame on me!
Let’s see the subtle effects of social media usage on productivity.
The ice cream truck effect: why social media kills your productivity
Social media isn’t the root of all evil. It’s a fantastic tool to connect people, host live events, exchange ideas, disseminate content, and much more. If we consider the time factor, however, it’s evident that social media kills your productivity. That’s simple mathematics.
Good morning, Mr. Facebook
Checking Facebook in the morning is the sure-fire way to kill your productivity. Whether you’re a morning person or not, dealing with your most important tasks in the morning is a catalyst to your productivity.
Saying hello to multitasking
The human attention span is narrowing with being more and more things to focus on. By checking social media multiple times per day, you’re on the verge of multitasking. Multitasking has been shown to decrease your productivity and the overall quality of your work.
Eye candy in action
People share the most appealing selfies, places, and life events with the promise that their life is so happy. What follows is that you’re consumed by greed when you see John’s selfie in the Bahamas.
Good evening, Ms. Twitter
Reading a book, spending quality time with your family, or planning the next day are more valuable evening activities than checking the latest Twitter threads.
The fall of the social media era is approaching: or does it?
I found that using social media for business and smart purposes is acceptable, but I try to stay away from eye candy.
Many productive people have already quit social media. Certainly, the biggest advocate is Cal Newport, bestselling author of Deep Work. Call claims that he has never had a social media account.
Lifestyle blogger Tomas Laurinavicius also claims that he quit social media.
Others, like Michael Sliwinski, CEO of Nozbe, have experimented with a social media sabbatical, a trial period of social media deprival.
You don’t have to shut down your social accounts, either: consider adhering to a “no-social media time” in your day. Maybe delete all social media apps from your phone.
A more conscious use of social media, beyond question, will improve your life. Whether this consciousness will put an end to the social media era is uncertain, but one thing is for sure: productivity and social media will never shake hands.
