The Human Cost of Social Media

Human touch feels like a thing of the past. Those feelings we once held so dear? Probably all that attention and effort are being directed somewhere else.

Remember the good old days when we actually called our friends to wish them on their birthday? Now, it is a quick "HBD" on their Instagram story, and we call it a day. And not to forget the Emoji in the end or else how our message will look complete. Correct?

The truth is, our attention has been hijacked. Likes, views, and shares have become the new currency, and somewhere along the way, we have traded genuine human connections for dopamine hits from notifications.

We are all guilty of it. Don't you think? 

Scrolling endlessly, double tapping on a stranger's latte art while ignoring the person sitting right across from us. I am quite sure that this scenario has played out in your own home too. You are texting your brother, sister, or parents who are just in the next room or the hall, instead of simply walking over and calling them out. 

A study by the Global Web Index (GWI) found that the average person spends about 2 hours and 23 minutes daily on social media platforms. That is like binge watching an entire season of a show every week but instead of drama, it is reels, memes, and influencers telling us how to live our lives or rather how to fake our lives.

And if you think about it, those 143 minutes per day per user add up to a staggering 720 billion minutes spent on social media worldwide each day. Over a year, that is more than 260 trillion minutes or the equivalent of 500 million years of collective human time! That is a lot of time and value for a emotionless algorithm, while real life moments slip through our fingers.

But here's the catch, while we are busy framing our online personalities, our real life connections are taking a hit.

A report by Cigna revealed that 61% of Americans feel lonely, and it's not just because of a lack of friends.

It is the quality of interactions and everything else that relates to human relationship. When was the last time you had a heart to heart conversation without checking your phone mid sentence? I cannot recollect any, Can you?

I was really curious, and I decided to dig into the numbers of my country -  India, the digital darling of the world. Turns out, we are no different.

A study in the Journal of Geriatric Mental Health revealed that 13.4% of our elderly feel lonely frequently. And a 2021 global Ipsos survey found that 43% of urban Indians deal with some form of loneliness. So, while we are busy embracing 5G, it seems we are losing something far more dear.

Now, don't get me wrong. Social media isn't all bad. It's how we stay connected in a fast-paced world. But the problem is, we are chasing the wrong kind of connection. We have started valuing virtual validation over real world relationships.

Think about it, would you rather have 100 likes on your selfie or one deep conversation with a friend who truly gets you?

I know what you are thinking and we are on the same page.

And let us not forget the humor in all this. Ever noticed how we now measure success in "views"? Imagine telling your grandparents, "I went viral!" They will probably think you caught the flu.

So, what is the solution, you may ask? 

It's not about quitting social media altogether, let's be realistic. But maybe, just maybe, we can try putting our phones down during dinner, calling instead of texting, or even trying to make eye contact during conversations. Spend more time human to human, not human to machine. Baby steps, right?"

In the end, it's all about balance. Let us not trade the human touch for digital likes. Because no number of followers can replace the warmth of a real smile or the comfort of a heartfelt hug. When I am totally down and out, I need a shoulder to cry on, not a screen to swipe. And trust me, those moments are worth more than any viral post.

So, what do you say? Ready to unplug, even for a little while? Or at least try not to scroll while reading this? 

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