An Examination of Conscience for Frequent Social Media Users
Since I was kicked off Twitter, I’ve given some thought to my love-hate relationships with social media. I have learnt a tremendous amount from my time on Twitter, and found some great online friends, some of which have really encouraged me when I felt I was a lone voice in the wilderness. But I also have to acknowledge that social media are designed to be addictive and enslaving, and can suck up valuable time well spent on other things. I’ve composed 15 simple questions to help myself and others put social media in its place - an examination of conscience, if you will…
Do I periodically get the sensation as I use social media that I am “spinning my wheels,” “killing time,” neither enjoying myself nor achieving something worthwhile?
Do I feel a sort of undertug or subliminal force pushing me to check and check again, for responses, comments, “likes,” or other “results,” as if the meaning of my life depended on it?
Do I feel anxious or strangely empty when I stop checking my social media feed or posting stuff on it for, say, 24 hours?
Do I find that I cannot be fully present to who is in front of me, due to obsessive or near-obsessive check-ins with social media?
Do I regularly find myself neglecting important relationships, e.g. with a close friend, spouse, or family member, in order to attend to social media business?
Do I suspect my productivity at work may be negatively affected by a state of distraction brought on my frequent engagement with email, internet, or social media?
Do I get the sense, from time to time, that I am caught in an elaborate online game that cuts me off from myself, my inner spirit, or my relationships with others?
Do I feel a bit like a rat in an dopamime experiment after a long session on social media?
Do I get the sense that my life is enriched and enhanced by my use of social media, or impoverished?
Do I come out of a social media session with my conscience elevated, or feeling bitter, negative, angry, or resentful?
Is social media a useful tool that serves my life purposes, or an ingenious instrument that manipulates my responses and exploits my appetite for societal approval and prestige?
Do I treat my interlocutors on social media with the same courtesy online as I would treat them offline?
Do I create an impenetrable bubble of supporters in my social media feed, so that I am not exposed to any perspectives that could actually challenge or upset my view of the world?
Am I free and serene on the inside on the days I use social media?
Does my use of social media suck up so much time that I forego opportunities to engage in equally and more important tasks, or attend to more important life projects?