As you scrolled through your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feed this morning, did you discover a little more than you really wanted to know?
Some people post the minutiae of their lives via social media, from a photo of what they had to eat for dinner to their latest feelings of frustration or glee. They’re our friends, so presumably we are interested in knowing exactly what they ate and details of their routines. And presumably we are concerned with every emotion they experience.
But most social media “friends” and “followers” are acquaintances, so your lack of interest in these little details has probably led you to scroll quickly or question why you spend time on social media at all.
Some overshare in a dramatic fashion, telling of the exact methods they used to try to conceive a baby (you can never look at them the same way again) or posting party photos in revealing clothes that paint a picture of promiscuity that Grandma didn’t want to see.
Oversharing is so prevalent in today’s society that no doubt you have sometimes posted more than you wanted at times, then gone back to delete the content. But it’s really too late. Once it’s posted, people see it immediately. That’s because as a society we spend large amounts of time on social media, checking at breakfast then staying on via smartphones throughout the day and night. Some even check social media at the family dinner table and in the washroom (which experts say is a sign that you should slow down or get help). A recent study estimates Canadians spend 45 hours per month on social media – and as high as eight hours a day in front of screens including TVs, making our lives unhealthily sedentary.
Social media can be a wonderful way to share photos of your family with your friends around the world and to let people know of major life events such as births or deaths, enabling them to share in your joy or attend a funeral. It’s also a way to exchange ideas, images and articles of interest, adding value to each other’s lives.
But oversharing can have damaging effects besides the mind-numbing that comes from too much time on social media. We can start to disassociate from our own lives, seeing it as a series of posts. We can miss out on real, face-to-face interactions that build relationships when we scroll through posts by acquaintances.
Social media is positive, but only in limited doses.
– Christine Endicott
