272_Life Without Social Media Part Two

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 272

Life Without Social Media Part Two

Sooner or later the circumstances of your every day life are going to force you to make a trade off. It is part of being an adult, managing your own life and taking responsibility for your choices. Some times those trade off are beneficial. At other times we look back and say to ourselves “I’ll never to that again.”

Our modern lives are full of trade offs, many of which are the result of our choice of short-term convenience. From the foods we eat, the recreation we choose, the employment we take on, all are based on convenience.

While some of these examples may be obvious, other things such as the internet and social media are far more subtle in their detrimental affects on our lives. So join me for episode 272 Life Without Social Media Part Two

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living  Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E272 Life Without Social Media Part Two.

Now in Part One I spoke in depth about how our physical and mental health are directly connected to sustainability and living a sovereign life. I also focused on how the internet, social media and many things about our modern culture directly work against our physical and mental health and limit our ability to make our decisions.

In this episode I am going to focus on how social media became so embedded in our lives and how we use it for the sake of convenience. But I also want to point out that social media, unless managed appropriately, is actually detrimental to our cultural values and our health. 

But before we dive into that, let’s first talk about the good news story of the week.

Good News Story of the Week

This week’s good news story has to do with our increased efforts at electrification. Interestingly enough, this comes at a time when global fuel costs are at an all-time high.

This environmental milestone was just set in Australia

as a company saw its all-electric haul truck go from the capital of Canberra to Sydney on a single charge.

This new vehicle was built by New Energy Transport and has a range of 416 miles carrying 49 tons and boosts 1,400 horsepower. This made it possible for an 84% reduction in fuel costs and proving that intercity routes can be successfully managed with alternative power.

This is actually the second demonstration of how this vehicle can operate. Several months ago this vehicle set a world record for the longest single-charge long haul delivery.

This delivery also ushers in a new era for Australian road freight where electric heavy trucks are not just cheaper and faster, they unshackle Australia from volatile global oil markets. This also sets an example to the rest of the world.

As you can see, we are slowly but surely finding ways to free ourselves from the volatile world energy prices.

Now let’s dive into this weeks episode.

As I eluded to before, there are many trade offs we make in life, some beneficial, others not so much. Beneficial trades off may be somethings such as the choice to go back to school. You are obviously trading off your spare time, your income, and likely portions of your social life in order to get a better education. Another beneficial trade off may be taking a job that pays a little more that is further from home but also allows time to work from home.

But, there are also many detrimental trades off that we make that negatively impact our health.  Often these involve prioritizing short-term convenience or pleasure over long-term well-being. 

 Examples include:

• Convenient Food vs. Healthy Food: Choosing fast food for its low cost and time efficiency often leads to health problems due to high calorie and low nutrient content, whereas home-cooked meals require more time and effort but support better health. 
• Pleasure vs Health: Indulging in unhealthy foods, alcohol, or sedentary activities provides immediate gratification but can result in long-term issues such as obesity, heart disease, or diminished physical fitness. 
• Work vs. Health: Taking on demanding jobs or working long hours to earn more money or achieve career success can reduce time for rest, exercise, and forming healthy relationships, ultimately compromising physical and mental health. 
• Comfort vs. Adventure/Risk: Staying in a secure but unfulfilling job or relationship avoids the discomfort of uncertainty but may lead to stagnation and stress, while taking risks for growth involves temporary discomfort for potentially greater long-term fulfillment.
• Sleep vs. Productivity: Sacrificing sleep to complete unimportant work or engage in leisure activities can lead to chronic fatigue, reduced cognitive function, and weakened immune response. 

These decisions often stem from the brain's tendency to overestimate the immediate benefits of indulgence or convenience while underestimating the long-term costs to health. Now, the same can be said for social media. But how did social media become so embedded in our lives and how can it possibly be detrimental to our healthy.

The Advent of Social Media

Most people do not know that the roots of social media trace back to earlier digital communications networks. In the early 1970s online communities emerged on the PLATO system which featured an online chat room called Talkomatic. In the late 70s the Bulletin Board System was established. Then the Usenet platform created online discussion groups. Then in the 9 1980s and 1990s services such as AOL, CompuServe and IRC expanded online community building. However, it was the SixDegrees.com platform, launched in 1997 that pioneered core features still used today, such as user profiles, friend lists, and the ability to message other users.

As you can see, the advent of social media was not a single invention, but a gradual evolution of the internet from a passive information system into an interactive social environment. What began as simple online communication tools eventually became one of the most influential cultural, economic, and psychological forces in modern history.

1. Before Social Media: The Early Internet (1980s–1990s)

In the early internet era, most people used the web primarily for:

• Email
• Static websites
• Forums and message boards
• Chat rooms
• Basic online communities

The internet was largely decentralized and slower-paced. People “went online” for a specific purpose, then disconnected.

Some early social-style platforms included:

• AOL chat rooms
• GeoCities personal webpages
• ICQ instant messaging
• Myspace and Friendster social networking

These platforms introduced the idea that identity, communication, and community could exist digitally.

2. The Birth of Modern Social Media (2000–2010)

The modern social media era accelerated with platforms like:

• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

As a consequence several major shifts happened simultaneously:

Real Identity Became the Norm

Earlier internet culture was anonymous or pseudonymous. Social media encouraged people to:

• Use real names
• Upload photos
• Publicly document their lives
• Build online social identities

This transformed the internet into essentially a mirror of real-world social structures.

Smartphones Changed Everything

The launch of the iPhone in 2007 fundamentally altered human behavior.

Before smartphones:

• People accessed the internet occasionally.

After smartphones:

• The internet became constant.
• Social media became portable.
• Notifications followed people everywhere.

This erased the boundary between “online” and “offline” life.

3. Why Social Media Became So Embedded

Social media succeeded because it tapped into fundamental human psychology.

A. Humans Are Social Creatures

People naturally seek:

• Belonging
• Recognition
• Community
• Validation
• Storytelling
• Status

Social media digitized these ancient social instincts.

A “like” or comment activates reward systems in the brain associated with dopamine and social approval.

B. Infinite Content and Algorithmic Feeds

Early internet experiences were chronological and intentional.

Modern platforms shifted to algorithmic feeds designed to maximize:

• Attention
• Engagement
• Emotional reaction
• Time spent on platform

Platforms learned:

• What makes people angry
• What keeps people scrolling
• What triggers emotional responses

The result was highly personalized behavioral conditioning.

C. The Advertising Economy

Most major platforms sort of suck you in because they are supposedly free. However, most people do not realize these platforms are not truly “free.”

Their business model is based on:

1. Collecting behavioral data
2. Predicting user behavior
3. Selling targeted advertising

This business model is often called:

• Surveillance capitalism
• Attention economy

The more time users spend online:

• The more ads they see
• The more data is collected
• The more profitable the platform becomes

Companies like Meta, Google, Facebook Microsoft have built enormous economic power around this model. And if you want to dive a bit deeper into this form of capitalism I strongly recommend the book titled The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. It is quite revealing as far as the depth and breadth of just how much our online behavior is monitored and used as a means of making money. 

4. Social Media Became Infrastructure

Over time, social media stopped being “optional entertainment” and became integrated into numerous levels of our daily lives:

• Communication
• News
• Business
• Marketing
• Politics
• Dating
• Education
• Activism
• Professional networking

For many people, social media became:

• Their news source
• Their social circle
• Their marketplace
• Their identity platform
• Their entertainment system

Businesses also adapted:

• Advertising shifted away from traditional media.
• Companies became dependent on platforms for visibility.
• Creators and influencers built entire careers online.

This created a feedback loop:

• Individuals needed platforms because society was there.
• Society stayed because individuals were there.

5. The Psychological and Cultural Effects

As social media became embedded, it changed culture itself.

Major Cultural Changes

Constant Comparison

People compare their real lives to curated digital versions of others. This is what I now call “Compare and despair.”

Shortened Attention Spans

Platforms optimized for rapid stimulation and endless novelty. As a result most people have very short attention spans.

Identity Performance

People increasingly “perform” themselves publicly for audiences.

Polarization

Algorithms amplify emotionally charged and divisive content because it drives engagement.

Reduced Local Community

Digital interaction often replaced:

• Neighborhood relationships
• Time spent with civic organizations
• In-person gatherings

Information Overload

Humans evolved for small-group communication, not nonstop global information streams.

6. Why It Is Difficult to Leave

Social media became deeply embedded because it merged:

• Human psychology
• Communication infrastructure
• Economic systems
• Entertainment
• Social identity
• Professional necessity

Leaving social media can feel difficult because people may lose:

• Social connection
• Business visibility
• News access
• Networking opportunities
• Habitual stimulation

For many people these platforms function similarly to digital public squares.

7. Where We Are Now

Society is beginning to question the long-term consequences of social media:

• Mental health concerns
• Youth anxiety and depression
• Privacy erosion
• Political manipulation, which in my opinion is deeply concerning because this has been used to manipulate even presidential elections.
• Addiction-like behavior
• Fragmentation of attention
• Loss of deep focus and reflection

At the same time, many people are now moving toward:

• Digital minimalism
• Intentional technology use
• Smaller online communities
• Local relationships
• Offline hobbies
• Privacy-focused tools
• Slower and more sustainable lifestyles

This emerging shift reflects a broader realization:
technology is not neutral — it shapes culture, behavior, attention, and even our very identities.

Why is social media detrimental to our health

Social media can be detrimental to health because it directly affects the brain’s reward systems, attention mechanisms, emotional regulation, sleep patterns, social behavior, and even physical health habits. The issue is not simply that people use social media — it is that most major platforms are engineered to maximize engagement, attention, and emotional activation.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter) are designed around algorithms that reward continuous use, emotional reaction, and repeated checking behavior.

Here’s how that impacts health.

1. It Overstimulates the Brain’s Reward System

Social media activates dopamine-driven reward pathways.

Each:

• notification,
• like,
• message,
• new post,
• or short video

creates a small reward signal in the brain.

The problem is that the rewards are:

• unpredictable,
• variable,
• and intermittent.

That pattern is psychologically powerful because it mimics mechanisms used in gambling systems.

Over time this can condition people to:

• compulsively check phones,
• struggle with boredom,
• crave novelty,
• and lose tolerance for silence or stillness.

The brain becomes trained for:

• rapid stimulation,
• constant input,
• and fragmented attention.

2. It Increases Anxiety and Emotional Volatility

Social media exposes people to:

• outrage,
• conflict,
• fear,
• comparison,
• bad news,
• and emotional extremes all day long.

Human nervous systems were not designed to absorb:

• global crises,
• constant political conflict,
• wars,
• disasters,
• and social comparison continuously.

The result can include:

• chronic stress,
• heightened anxiety,
• emotional exhaustion,
• and nervous system overstimulation.

Algorithms often prioritize emotionally charged content because it increases engagement.

That means anger and fear are frequently amplified.

3. It Fuels Constant Social Comparison

People naturally compare themselves to others.

Social media intensifies this by exposing users to carefully curated highlights of thousands of lives every day.

People compare themselves against:

• filtered appearances,
• financial success,
• travel,
• relationships,
• fitness,
• status,
• and lifestyles.

This can create:

• inadequacy,
• low self-esteem,
• envy,
• body-image issues,
• and depression.

The comparison is often psychologically unfair because people are comparing:

their ordinary life to someone else’s edited highlight reel that only reveals the best parts of their personal existence.

4. It Fragments Attention and Reduces Focus

Short-form feeds train the brain to:

• switch rapidly between stimuli,
• seek novelty constantly,
• and avoid sustained concentration.

This affects:

• reading,
• studying,
• deep work,
• memory,
• and patience.

Many people now struggle to:

• read long books,
• watch long-form discussions,
• or focus on anything without checking devices.

Over time the brain adapts to the environment it experiences repeatedly.

When attention is constantly interrupted, deep concentration becomes harder.

5. It Disrupts Sleep

Social media affects sleep in multiple ways.

Blue Light Exposure

Late-night screen exposure can suppress melatonin production which affects your ability to sleep.

Mental Stimulation

Scrolling keeps the brain alert instead of winding down.

Emotional Activation

News, arguments, and emotionally charged content increase arousal before sleep.

Poor sleep is linked to:

• anxiety,
• obesity,
• cardiovascular disease,
• weakened immunity,
• and depression.

Sleep disruption alone can significantly affect overall health.

6. It Encourages Sedentary Behavior

Heavy social media use often replaces:

• physical movement,
• outdoor activity,
• hobbies,
• and face-to-face interaction.

Long periods of passive screen time are associated with:

• poor posture,
• reduced fitness,
• weight gain,
• eye strain,
• and musculoskeletal issues.

Mental health and physical health are deeply connected.

Reduced movement affects both.

7. It Weakens Real-World Relationships

Social media can create the illusion of connection while reducing meaningful interaction.

People may:

• communicate more frequently,
• but connect less deeply.

Online interaction often lacks:

• body language,
• emotional nuance,
• eye contact,
• and sustained attention.

Many people now experience:

• loneliness despite constant connectivity,
• weaker community bonds,
• and more superficial social interaction.

Research increasingly shows that loneliness itself is a serious health issue.

8. It Creates Identity Pressure

Modern social media encourages people to:

• build personal brands,
• perform identity publicly,
• and seek validation continuously.

This creates psychological pressure to:

• appear successful,
• stay relevant,
• maintain visibility,
• and manage perception.

Many people begin living partially for audience reaction rather than direct experience.

That disconnect can increase:

• anxiety,
• insecurity,
• and loss of authenticity.

9. It Impacts Children and Teenagers Especially Hard

Young brains are still developing.

Social media can strongly affect:

• self-worth,
• identity formation,
• attention span,
• emotional resilience,
• and social development.

Teenagers now face:

• 24/7 comparison,
• cyberbullying,
• algorithmic beauty standards,
• and public social pressure.

Rates of:

• anxiety,
• depression,
• self-harm,
• and loneliness

have risen significantly among adolescents during the smartphone/social-media era.

10. It Creates Information Overload

Humans evolved in relatively small information environments. If you listened to my last episode you will remember my example of “Who cares about the price of tea in China?”

Now people process:

• headlines,
• opinions,
• arguments,
• advertisements,
• and viral content continuously.

This can lead to:

• cognitive fatigue,
• emotional numbness,
• shortened patience,
• and reduced mental clarity.

The brain rarely gets true rest.

11. It Strengthens Consumerism and Dissatisfaction

Social media platforms are heavily tied to advertising systems.

Feeds constantly encourage:

• buying,
• upgrading,
• comparing,
• and consuming.

People are repeatedly exposed to:

• idealized lifestyles,
• influencer marketing,
• and status signaling.

This can create a persistent feeling of:

“I am incomplete unless I acquire more.”

That mindset contributes to:

• stress,
• debt,
• dissatisfaction,
• and loss of contentment.

12. It Reduces Quiet Reflection

Before smartphones and feeds, people experienced more:

• silence,
• boredom,
• reflection,
• and uninterrupted thought.

Now many people fill every spare moment with stimulation.

But having mental quiet time is very important for:

• emotional processing
• developing your creativity
• self-awareness
• and long-term thinking.

Without reflective time and space people can become psychologically reactive rather than intentional.

Important Nuance

Now, as I said at the beginning of this podcast series, at times it is going to sound as if I am saying that social media platforms are the evil empire. But, honestly social media itself is not inherently evil.

It can provide:

• education
• business opportunities
• support groups
• creative expression
• and connection with other across great distances which would not otherwise be possible.

The problem is:

• scale
• addiction mechanics
• algorithmic optimization
• and excessive dependence on these platforms

The health impact of social media platforms depends heavily on:

• frequency of use
• emotional relationship to the platforms,
• age
• the type of content consumed,
• and whether this use is intentional or compulsive.

The Core Health Issue

The central problem is that social media often hijacks:

• attention
• emotion
• identity
• and behavior

for commercial engagement purposes.

Human biology evolved for:

• direct community,
• slower information flow,
• physical movement,
• face-to-face interaction,
• and periods of mental rest.

Modern social media environments frequently push the nervous system in the opposite direction:

• constant stimulation,
• constant comparison,
• constant connectivity,
• and constant emotional activation.

That mismatch is why many people experience declining mental and emotional well-being when social media becomes a dominant part of daily life.