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Whether you love Facebook and Instagram or hate them, your opinion is likely strong. Perhaps ironically, an “engaging” argument about the merits or faults of Facebook “on Facebook” would likely frame the issue as black or white.
But like most things, the truth lies somewhere in between. We pay for free, limitless social connection with the price of our privacy. The thrill of follower engagement comes at the cost of our personal data and advertiser targeting.
Facebook would, no doubt, argue those points with carefully coiffed corporate statements about the sophomoric ideal of a socially connected world filled with rainbows that end racism and unicorns that crap coronavirus cures.
One thing they can’t dispute, however, is how its platform makes you feel.
Our mood and our stress level reveals the impact that these platforms have. No, it’s not an instantaneous surge of dopamine like doing a line of blow. But drop social media entirely for a week and see how you feel.
Phone addiction is real. So is Facebook addiction disorder — interestingly shortened to FAD.
While more studies are needed to officially recognize FAD as a behavioral disorder, some studies have…
