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0Is social media still 'social'?
For many people, social media is a normal part of everyday life. It's used to keep in touch, entertain and follow what's happening in the world. But numbers from DataReportal indicate that the average use of social media is around two hours 21 minutes a day. That's nearly 15 hours per week or about 32 days a year!
The same report also mentions that people are using social media more passively. This means they're spending a lot of time scrolling on their feed, sending memes and reacting to things with emojis instead of sending messages. Could it be that social media platforms are negatively impacting the way we interact with people, and are they taking time away from us actually being social?
One study looked at what happened when social media was deliberately limited. In The effect of self-monitoring limited social media use on psychological well-being, researchers in the United States studied 230 university students. One group was asked to limit social media use to 30 minutes a day, while the other continued without a limit. After two weeks, the group limiting its use reported lower levels of loneliness, depression, anxiety and FOMO.
Sleep is another part of the picture. For many people, scrolling through social media has become part of their bedtime routine when they should be winding down to rest. Research published by the National Library of Medicine has examined the effects of blue light from electronic screens. This light can affect the body's natural sleep-wake cycle and increase alertness. Reducing screen time before bed may therefore help some people prepare for sleep. Better sleep can also provide more energy for work, hobbies and lay the groundwork for more successful and fulfilling face-to-face social interactions.
These findings do not necessarily mean that you have to completely quit social media. Instead, it may be worth considering how much time is being spent online, and what that time could be used for instead. Small changes might include moving the social media app away from the home screen, using social media only at certain times, or accessing it through a computer rather than the phone you probably have with you all the time.
The idea is not to disconnect from the online world completely, but to create a better balance between online and offline life. Reducing the use of social media could free up time to take part in more rewarding hobbies and encourage you to connect with people in real life rather than through a screen.
词汇表
indicate [ˈɪndɪkeɪt] vt. 表明，显示，指出
passively [ˈpæsɪvli] adv. 被动地，消极地
scroll [skrəʊl] vi./vt. 滚动（屏幕），刷，浏览（网页）
feed [fiːd] n. （社交媒体的）动态，信息流
meme [miːm] n. 梗图，网络迷因（在网络上迅速传播的图像、视频或文字）
emoji [ɪˈməʊdʒi] n. 表情符号
deliberately [dɪˈlɪbərətli] adv. 故意地，刻意地
self-monitoring [self ˈmɒnɪtərɪŋ] n./adj. 自我监测（的），自我监控（的）
FOMO [ˈfəʊməʊ] n. 错失恐惧症（Fear of Missing Out）
part of the picture 整体情况的一部分，一个方面或因素
bedtime routine [ˈbedtaɪm ruːˈtiːn] 睡前惯例，睡前习惯
wind down [waɪnd] vi. 放松，平静下来
sleep-wake cycle 睡眠—觉醒周期
alertness [əˈlɜːtnəs] n. 警觉性，机敏
lay the groundwork for 为…打下基础，为…做准备
access [ˈækses] vt. 访问，使用，获取
disconnect from [ˌdɪskəˈnekt] 与…断开连接，脱离
offline [ˌɒfˈlaɪn] adj.. 离线的，线下的
free up 腾出，释放（时间、空间等）
rewarding [rɪˈwɔːdɪŋ] adj. 有意义的，值得做的
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