One of the most striking bits of research lately has been that every study I am aware of of social media finds a correlation between unhappiness and social media use. The more social media people use, the less happy they are. It’s really extraordinary.
I’ve been thinking about this recently. While ill recently I played some Civilization VI (the worst version of Civilization in its history.)
I found it compulsive. I’d be sitting there, not enjoying myself, yet found myself playing “just one more turn.”
Social media feels much the same. You tweet or put up a Facebook post or comment, or an Instagram picture, or whatever, and then you wait to see if people respond. The responses are intermittent: you can’t entirely predict them, so it’s very strong reinforcement.
The feeling of posting on social media is compulsive. Like one has to check to see if there are responses: like on has to post something new.
It’s not a happy feeling, usually. Instead it feels like addictive behaviour. Perhaps mildly addictive in some case, perhaps seriously in others.
I find happiness, right now, for me, happens most often while listening to music. It isn’t compulsive at all. I enjoy it, I stop when I have something else to do. It’s relaxed.
Dopamine hits aren’t particularly enjoyable. They’re just demanding: compulsive. “Do more of this.”
Happiness is something else. Not compulsive. Optional.
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