I recently watched a TEDx talk by Dr. Cal Newport detailing his views on social media. Dr. Newport is unique in that he has never had any sort of social media account. In this talk, he details some of the key issues surrounding social media use. I took notes during my second viewing of the talk and am sharing those here.
- Social media is NOT a fundamental technology for living in today’s world – It IS an entertainment technology
- He considers himself to be better off in life without using social media
- Objections to quitting social media: A.) Don’t think I can function in the modern world with interaction with others in social media B.) It is vital to my modern world autonomy – I won’t be able to market effectively C.) It’s harmless, I have fun, I might miss out of something if I don’t use it.
- Social media outlets hire employees, attention engineers, whose job is to make the outlets more addictive
- The key is to develop skills that are rare and valuable…people will find you without social media
- Social media reduces the ability to focus for long periods of time – Permanently reduces the ability to concentrate.
- Increases the feeling of isolation and loneliness…can increase instances of depression…our brains are not wired for what social media is geared towards
- The first couple of weeks away from social media can be uncomfortable.
- No social media equates to higher productivity….no social media means much less stressful leisure time….restorative and peaceful
- Social media is like a slot machine on your phone…
- Anything a smartphone can do is not going to be what the market rewards.
David Lee 