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About
Social media can be a positive thing that informs, connects and entertains us. However, it can also cause us significant harm.
Research has linked frequent social media use to: increased rates of anxiety, depression and loneliness; reduced self-esteem; and reduced attention spans. Algorithms have also been shown to distort the information environment in ways that contribute to political polarisation and increased levels of misinformation and disinformation.
But social media hasn’t always been this way. Since it emerged in the early-2000s, it has changed and evolved a lot. In its early days, Facebook was a relatively simple platform for college students to connect and share updates on. Fast forward to today, however, and platforms like Instagram (which has over 3 billion active monthly users) have become much more complex and much more addictive.
In Ireland, 71.1% of 15-24 year olds spend more than two hours a day on social media — for reference, that’s the equivalent of more than a full month of scrolling every year!
Social media has become more addictive because its design and features have become better and better at grabbing and keeping our attention. For example:
The Like Button:
The like button tapped into our social instincts. Getting likes makes us feel good and keeps us coming back for more.
Disappearing Stories:
Disappearing stories kept people coming back to the platforms more often because they didn’t want to miss out on seeing what their friends were up to.
Infinite Scroll:
The infinite scroll feature made it easier to scroll endlessly and harder to know when to stop.
Another one of the most addictive features introduced by social media platforms in recent years is algorithms.
Social media algorithms (also sometimes called recommender systems) are complex computer programmes designed to show us personalised content that will keep us online for as long as possible.
However, sometimes the content that keeps engaged can be harmful. We might stay online because we’re being shown content that makes us angry or jealous. We might watch stuff that makes us feel like we’re better than others. Or we might just watch stuff that makes us feel numb.
For example, content that promotes self harm or unrealistic beauty standards might appeal to insecure and impressionable teenage girls. Likewise, “manosphere” content that promotes homophobia or misogyny might appeal to impressionable young men.
Viral Wise helps people of all ages understand and make sense of social media algorithms and the risks they pose to us as individuals and communities.
However, its not all doom and gloom — we also explore what can be done to make the online world safer and simple steps that we can all take to develop healthier relationships with social media.
Learn more about Viral Wise workshops here:
About Tom
Tom is the founder of Viral Wise. As a 25-year-old, he was part of the first generation to grow up with social media. In an article for The Journal, he explored his first-hand experience of its harms as a teenager.
Tom studied History and Political Science at Trinity College Dublin, where he specialised in the relationship between politics, culture and technology. In college, he also founded Mangrove Report, a student publication which explored how emerging technologies were shaping the future.
Since leaving university, Tom has worked with Uplift, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, and the Hope and Courage Collective. His work has mainly involved researching the effects of social media algorithms, lobbying Irish and European politicians to strengthen regulation and educating the public.
In his free time, Tom enjoys surfing, DJ-ing and writing poetry!