Digital Wellness - Less is Better I think (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

I'm convinced we'll look back in the future on how we allowed folks, especially kids to use phones and be shocked.

I expect this to continue to be more and more important.

https://www.wellandgood.com/practicing-digital-wellness/

 

[hagmania]

This message board, along with one other, and Discord are my only forms of social media these days. Been this way since late 2020 and I think I have benefitted greatly from the change.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I had to log off Twitter for the day - opened it up to a feed flooded with graphic pictures of the mass shooting and was deeply effected by it.

Less is more.

 

[TripItUp]

I avoid the negative stuff on social media by blocking it or scrolling past it. I also make sure digital time never interrupts my work/career in addition to my physical activity and natural vitamin D/sunlight consumption. I make sure I always get 8 hours of sleep, but I know you are supposed to stay away at night before you go to bed, I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that...too much fun and in some ways too productive.

It's an amazing age we are living in, but the masses are definitely still understanding how to manage it. The management part seems rather intuitive to me.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I can’t wait to retire and throw my phone away. I don’t want any of this stuff.

 

[massraider]

The management part seems rather intuitive to me

Lol, yeah right

 

[dkp993]

Social Media is a cancer upon society IMO. Yes I know that reeks of old man “get of my lawn” stuff but it’s hard to see it any other way. I’m here, discord (only went when the PSF shuttered) and twitter. My twitter I have cultivated very carefully to be only a source for my hobbies and interests. It’s drama free.

Having an eight year old daughter my wife and I are very careful to manage screen time and web exposure. It’s something we are always discussing and aware of.

 

[Gold Fox]

I gave up Facebook for Lent, and I learned it wasn’t a sacrifice to give up… it was a reward. I was so much more productive.

For me, the hardest part about putting away social media is that guilty feeling that you are tuning people (acquaintances) out.

 

[foxco]

Two teenage daughters in therapy, IMO the socials had a lot to do with it. So less for sure from my perspective.

 

[Judge Smails]

People care way too much about what others think. Social media fuels that.

 

[fruity pebbles]

Have never had a social media account. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…..nothing. Don’t feel I’ve missed anything.

 

[culdeus]

Thought apples privacy settings would slow this down some. Was way wrong. Worse than ever.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I had to log off Twitter for the day - opened it up to a feed flooded with graphic pictures of the mass shooting and was deeply effected by it.

Less is more.

I find that sticking to my "Following" tab completely eliminates this sort of thing. I follow all sorts of people with political points of view that range most of the spectrum, but not one of them would tweet or RT anything graphic or NSFW. When I click on "For You," that's when I start seeing accounts that I don't follow that produce content that I don't want, usually involving random acts of violence. My takeaway from that is that there must be a lot of people who enjoy consuming this sort of stuff, which explains a lot.

 

[SoBeDad]

There's a sweet spot for us older folks regarding prevention of dementia and use of social media according to an 8-year study of over 18,000 dementia-free 50 to 65 year olds followed 8 years. It's probably the same for mental health, as some social media can be supportive.

Lots of caveats about this study, the biggest being the well-known association between educational and occupational attainment and both prevalence and incidence of dementia in studies around the world.

>>People who used the internet at the start of the study had about half the risk of dementia as people who were not regular users.

The researchers also looked at how often these adults were online, from not at all to more than eight hours a day. Those who used the internet for about two hours or less a day had the lowest risk of dementia compared with those that didn't use the internet, who had a "notably higher estimated risk."

The researchers noted that people who were online six to eight hours a day had a higher risk of dementia, but that finding wasn't statistically significant, they said, and more research is needed.

Online engagement may help to develop and maintain cognitive reserve, which can in turn compensate for brain aging and reduce the risk of dementia," said Chang, an associate professor of global public health at New York University's School of Global Public Health.

The study also did not look at what people were exploring online. Although the internet is full of cat videos and conspiracy theories, it can also be intellectually stimulating, and some studies have shown that intellectual stimulation may help prevent dementia. A 2020 study found an association between cognitively stimulating jobs and a lower risk of dementia, for example.<<

Weiterleitungshinweis

 

[Godsbrother]

This message board, along with one other, and Discord are my only forms of social media these days. Been this way since late 2020 and I think I have benefitted greatly from the change.

This board is my only form of social media and now that it's the offseason I only check in once a day. I mainly stay in the Shark Pool and only one or twice a week go into the baseball forum or FFA. I used to be much more active in the FFA but quite frankly there isn't as much going on here like there used to be and I'm fine with that.

I will say that closing the Politics forum was a great thing to do. It is a good idea in theory but it got way too negative and sometimes downright nasty. Life is too short for that nonsense -- we all have more in common than differences. Endless debates that were discussed over and over wasn't helping anyone.

 

[beer 30]

Maybe not exactly in the same vein but I've recently started using the screen time feature on Apple products and shutting it down at 10:00pm. I read until 10:30 and go to bed. Still working through it all but has helped getting me off the screen. I'm 58, hate to see what our kids and kids kids are going to be like.

 

[Doug B]

Have never had a social media account. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…..nothing. Don’t feel I’ve missed anything.

I often feel like the types of online communities that were fostered, say, between 2000 and 2005 were just about right. Enough fulfillment, enough stimulation, enough personalization of interests -- and also enough anonymity, privacy and distance.

There used to be a fairly hard ethic to keep separate one's online life and one's "real life". Revealing one's personal info to an online acquaintance was a big deal and not to be taken lightly. I was initially amazed when people started up with Facebook ~2010 and just went whole hog with real names, personal info aplenty, etc. It was like an immediate sea change with no real lead up -- at least from where I was sitting.

Remember how Tila Tequila was the "face of Facebook" before it went really big -- 2008-09 or so? "Tila Tequila" wasn't her real name. I just thought, then, that Facebook was basically going to be more of the same as contemporary message boards offered, except with more sound and video. Same anonymity ethic as message boards, Usenet, etc. But nope.

 

[Galileo]

The phrase "digital wellness" is a bit misleading as it is really referring to mental health here. Granted the article is focused on mental health issues stemming from use of digital technologies/social media. I don't necessarily agree with "less is more". I think real issue comes down to how the digital technologies are being utilized rather than the quantity or time spent. If I were to sit and whittle wood 24/7, or any other mindless endeavor, it would also have negative impact on my mental state. The genie is never going back in the bottle. We need to adapt to the world that digital technology opens up. I truly think the evolution of our species will progress down a path of full integration with technology. That may be viewed as a good thing or bad a thing, I suppose, but either way it seems inevitable.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I find that sticking to my "Following" tab completely eliminates this sort of thing. I follow all sorts of people with political points of view that range most of the spectrum, but not one of them would tweet or RT anything graphic or NSFW.

Exactly.

A ton of responsibility is on the user to use the tool in a way that's best for them.

 

[Joe Bryant]

The phrase "digital wellness" is a bit misleading as it is really referring to mental health here. Granted the article is focused on mental health issues stemming from use of digital technologies/social media. I don't necessarily agree with "less is more". I think real issue comes down to how the digital technologies are being utilized rather than the quantity or time spent. If I were to sit and whittle wood 24/7, or any other mindless endeavor, it would also have negative impact on my mental state. The genie is never going back in the bottle. We need to adapt to the world that digital technology opens up. I truly think the evolution of our species will progress down a path of full integration with technology. That may be viewed as a good thing or bad a thing, I suppose, but either way it seems inevitable.

Thanks. I don't think "digital wellness" is misleading. I think it's right on the money as it's (or at least how I understand the topic) to be about being healthy (wellness) in how one uses digital experiences.

And for sure, how one uses it is crucial.

For a quick bottom line though, I'm good with "less is better" working for most people.

And I agree completely the genie is out of the bottle. I think that means we need to focus on how we best use it.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I also tend to think much of this really revolves around how we deal with "comparison". And getting a good handle on that.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I find that sticking to my "Following" tab completely eliminates this sort of thing. I follow all sorts of people with political points of view that range most of the spectrum, but not one of them would tweet or RT anything graphic or NSFW.

Exactly.

A ton of responsibility is on the user to use the tool in a way that's best for them.

I stick to my following tab.

But people retweet things from people I don’t follow. And some of those people retweeted the graphic photo enough that I was exposed to it. I can never unsee that.

You can’t always tightly control what bubbles up except to log off.

So that’s what I did.

 

[hagmania]

I stuck to my following and still shut it down. Obvs we're all different.

 

[Galileo]

The phrase "digital wellness" is a bit misleading as it is really referring to mental health here. Granted the article is focused on mental health issues stemming from use of digital technologies/social media. I don't necessarily agree with "less is more". I think real issue comes down to how the digital technologies are being utilized rather than the quantity or time spent. If I were to sit and whittle wood 24/7, or any other mindless endeavor, it would also have negative impact on my mental state. The genie is never going back in the bottle. We need to adapt to the world that digital technology opens up. I truly think the evolution of our species will progress down a path of full integration with technology. That may be viewed as a good thing or bad a thing, I suppose, but either way it seems inevitable.

Thanks. I don't think "digital wellness" is misleading. I think it's right on the money as it's (or at least how I understand the topic) to be about being healthy (wellness) in how one uses digital experiences.

And for sure, how one uses it is crucial.

For a quick bottom line though, I'm good with "less is better" working for most people.

And I agree completely the genie is out of the bottle. I think that means we need to focus on how we best use it.

That's fine. I see your point and I concede. Perhaps "misleading" was the wrong term for me to use. I was focused more on mental health being the bigger umbrella. Digital habits clearly are one factor contributing to the overall state of mental wellness.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I have a facebook account. Several years ago, I started unfollowing friends and family who wanted to do very little but post about politics/social issues. Didn't block them, as I wanted to be able to check in on them if I wanted to. I just didn't want that stuff popping up on my feed. I long ago stopped watching national news TV channels. Getting those kinds of things out of my life had helped me a lot.

I have a twitter account that I've never used and don't even recall the log-in for. I doubt I'll ever use it.

There are a couple of nerd forums I visit, but just as a lurker.

And I have this place. Other than a couple of FB groups I belong to, it's all of the on-line community I need.

 

[Scoresman]

It's such a cliche to say that social media makes you dumb or is bad for you. No, what you look at on social media might make you dumb or might be bad for you. Don't blame the technology. The good of connecting people across the globe far outweighs the bad, particularly since you can take steps to avoid the bad.

 

[Joe Bryant]

particularly since you can take steps to avoid the bad.

Agreed. I think that's mostly the point here.

 

[MTskibum]

I cut out arguing on the internet about 10 years ago. I can still dip into political threads and post my opinion but if someone disagrees I do not argue with them. The one caveat is if they ask for how i came to my opinion I sometimes type that out.

I do not get upset and barely care when people have a different opinion than me. I have friends with vastly different opinions on many subjects. It does not matter to me in the slightest.

The internet has about the same effect on my mental health as reading a book or watching a tv show.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Good discussion y'all.

I think one big thing we have going for us as mostly older people, we learned most of these "comparison" skills pre internet. I'm less worried about us having good digital wellness than I am teenagers and young adults that have grown up during this time.

 

[LawFitz]

It's circa 2006 and I've been hearing about Facebook from a number of my friends, who I can tell are quickly becoming obsessed. Though relatively young by modern urban standards I'm already married and have been avoiding the MySpace scene like the plague b/c I value my privacy too much, don't have any need to chase tail online, and believe I don't need these new platforms to stay connected to friends. One day one of my best buds calls me to try to convince me to set up a Facebook account. He goes on and on (and on and on) about how FB is so much better than MySpace, which he knew I wanted no part of. I explain to him how I have zero desire to put my private life online. He goes well beyond trying to convince me - into a full on press about how the only reason not to join FB is if one is trying to "hide something." I find his hard sell repulsive and dig my heels in even further. Our debate becomes more than a bit uncomfortable, and ultimately he drops it when he senses my frustration turning toward anger. We don't speak of it again.

Fast forward several years and one night I start receiving multiple texts from mutual friends asking me what is going on with this same dude. Still feeling radioactivity from FB, I have no idea what they are referring to. A friend sends me screen shots. My old FB-superfan bud is having a full domestic meltdown online with his significant other, whom he's been living with for some time. All of their dirty laundry is posted across multiple dueling page-long posts by each of them, from drug abuse to infidelity to accusations and denials of physical domestic abuse. It's absolutely FUGLY. I spend the next several weeks talking this guy off a psychological ledge. Across all of those conversations, I find myself repeatedly remembering his super awkward FB sales pitch above. I tell myself once this episode fully passes, I'll one day revisit that convo with him to compare notes. My dude eventually recovers after a drawn-out harsh breakup with said gal. I never find it in me to revisit the original convo with him.

Social media is a hyper-powerful information tool. I use it daily between Twitter, YouTube and FBG. I just never understood why people would share their personal information, for FREE at that. Now a dad, my kids will eventually hear this story as they age up into middle and high school and the inevitable social media sales pitches come to and from them. Your private existence is extremely valuable. Act accordingly.

 

[SWC]

i dont even think it is debatable that social media is the worst thing to happen to young people since like the plague take that to the bank brohans

 

[IvanKaramazov]

It's such a cliche to say that social media makes you dumb or is bad for you. No, what you look at on social media might make you dumb or might be bad for you. Don't blame the technology. The good of connecting people across the globe far outweighs the bad, particularly since you can take steps to avoid the bad.

This is true, of course, but it overlooks a pretty important point. Each of us can control our own social media consumption, but we can't control how other people consume social media. And it's not a lot of fun to live in a society in which otherwise-intelligent people are having their brains melted in real time. That has a real impact on the rest of us.

I don't have a solution to that, by the way. On one level, the internet is a fantastic boon for people like me, because it provides an infinite pool of engaging material that's better than any library ever created. On the other hand, it's pretty obvious that the internet makes stupid people stupider than they would have been if left to their own devices. Not sure what one does about that.

 

[Gr00vus]

Have never had a social media account. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…..nothing. Don’t feel I’ve missed anything.

Same. The closest thing to a social media account I have is my handle here at FBGs. I have no desire to go beyond that. I text, call, email my family and friends, that keeps me close and up to date just fine. I like to keep the noise in my life to a minimum.

To Joe's larger point, I think there's a definite emotional / psychological adaptation needed to understand and handle the effect of social media on one's self. Too many have not achieved that, and are so wrapped up in the events of the current millisecond as fed to them that they now can't step back and gain the perspective needed to use the technology in a positive, constructive way. At best its a distraction, at worst its a derailment. Its tough to avoid using the technology as a convenient conduit for exercising our worst selves, entering a pervasive cycle of being trapped in that behavior.

 

[jwb]

I have a facebook account. Several years ago, I started unfollowing friends and family who wanted to do very little but post about politics/social issues. Didn't block them, as I wanted to be able to check in on them if I wanted to. I just didn't want that stuff popping up on my feed. I long ago stopped watching national news TV channels. Getting those kinds of things out of my life had helped me a lot.

Game changer in a FB feed.

I see nearly zero politics / social stuff. And no memes about it. My feed is 90% hobbies/stuff I like, and a few posts from people I want to see posts from.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I have a facebook account. Several years ago, I started unfollowing friends and family who wanted to do very little but post about politics/social issues. Didn't block them, as I wanted to be able to check in on them if I wanted to. I just didn't want that stuff popping up on my feed. I long ago stopped watching national news TV channels. Getting those kinds of things out of my life had helped me a lot.

Game changer in a FB feed.

I see nearly zero politics / social stuff. And no memes about it. My feed is 90% hobbies/stuff I like, and a few posts from people I want to see posts from.

Same here. I deleted my personal FB page years ago but tried out the oculus rift a Christmas or two ago and they require a FB account. I created a new one with a totally made up name. Despite all the friend recommendations (whom are all people I know,) I haven’t befriended anyone on there.

It’s strictly for marketplace and when somebody sends me a funny link. It’s great.

ETA - Sold the Oculus. The tech is close but not ready.

 

[Terminalxylem]

There's a sweet spot for us older folks regarding prevention of dementia and use of social media according to an 8-year study of over 18,000 dementia-free 50 to 65 year olds followed 8 years. It's probably the same for mental health, as some social media can be supportive.

Lots of caveats about this study, the biggest being the well-known association between educational and occupational attainment and both prevalence and incidence of dementia in studies around the world.

>>People who used the internet at the start of the study had about half the risk of dementia as people who were not regular users.

The researchers also looked at how often these adults were online, from not at all to more than eight hours a day. Those who used the internet for about two hours or less a day had the lowest risk of dementia compared with those that didn't use the internet, who had a "notably higher estimated risk."

The researchers noted that people who were online six to eight hours a day had a higher risk of dementia, but that finding wasn't statistically significant, they said, and more research is needed.

Online engagement may help to develop and maintain cognitive reserve, which can in turn compensate for brain aging and reduce the risk of dementia," said Chang, an associate professor of global public health at New York University's School of Global Public Health.

The study also did not look at what people were exploring online. Although the internet is full of cat videos and conspiracy theories, it can also be intellectually stimulating, and some studies have shown that intellectual stimulation may help prevent dementia. A 2020 study found an association between cognitively stimulating jobs and a lower risk of dementia, for example.<<

Weiterleitungshinweis

Navigating the internet takes some level of executive function. I say this as my nearly 80, mildly demented father-in-law struggles to use his first smart phone.

I think the key is being mentally engaged with something, be it a chat room, game of checkers, or conversation with a friend. I doubt the internet is appreciably better than those stimulating alternatives - sitting in a dark room, mindlessly watching TikTok dances is probably not helpful.

 

[Terminalxylem]

It's such a cliche to say that social media makes you dumb or is bad for you. No, what you look at on social media might make you dumb or might be bad for you. Don't blame the technology. The good of connecting people across the globe far outweighs the bad, particularly since you can take steps to avoid the bad.

This is true, of course, but it overlooks a pretty important point. Each of us can control our own social media consumption, but we can't control how other people consume social media. And it's not a lot of fun to live in a society in which otherwise-intelligent people are having their brains melted in real time. That has a real impact on the rest of us.

I don't have a solution to that, by the way. On one level, the internet is a fantastic boon for people like me, because it provides an infinite pool of engaging material that's better than any library ever created. On the other hand, it's pretty obvious that the internet makes stupid people stupider than they would have been if left to their own devices. Not sure what one does about that.

Pretty sure we‘ve been getting stupider as a society for years, and it started well before the internet. But It definitely hasn’t helped matters.

I’m not certain even “smart guys” are immune to the confirmation bias propagated by search algorithms and internet echo chambers, which make it really easy for dumb ideas to take off.

Gonna be interesting to see how AI impacts these trends. IMO, it‘s likely to get worse.

 

[massraider]

I’m not certain even “smart guys” are immune to the confirmation bias propagated by search algorithms and internet echo chambers, which make it really easy for dumb ideas to take off

Just in terms of "wellness", online time is still online time.

There's no social media making me crazy, but when I'm on my bike outside more, doing non-online things, I'm happier and healthier.

Dinner with friends is better when no one is texting.

 

[Poke_4_Life]

I gave up Facebook for Lent, and I learned it wasn’t a sacrifice to give up… it was a reward. I was so much more productive.

For me, the hardest part about putting away social media is that guilty feeling that you are tuning people (acquaintances) out.

I gave it up over two years ago for New Years. Was going to be a month-long break. I've looked at it maybe 3 times in the last 2+ years.

 

[Galileo]

Pretty sure we‘ve been getting stupider as a society for years, and it started well before the internet. But It definitely hasn’t helped matters.

I’m not certain even “smart guys” are immune to the confirmation bias propagated by search algorithms and internet echo chambers, which make it really easy for dumb ideas to take off.

Gonna be interesting to see how AI impacts these trends. IMO, it‘s likely to get worse.

This is along the lines of what I intended earlier in the discussion when I ineptly referred to Digital Wellness as being misleading. I think there is a much larger mental wellness decline in society that has been ongoing for some time. It is not merely an issue of digital matters. Clearly the digital age has hastened and intensified that decline providing a convenient vehicle to drive off the cliff.