It’s not fun until you get a bunch of likes.
It’s been about three years since I last had a Facebook account. I haven’t had Instagram in two years. Snapchat was quick to pass through my life and I was happy to see it go. Now, I have nothing against people who use social media but I think it’s worth recognizing the impacts they have on our lives.
The reason I can’t buy into these forms of expression and documentation is because they slowly but surely take away from the experience of real life. I’m not just talking about the obvious detriment of spending your life looking at a screen, living vicariously through the adventures of others while never embarking on any of your own. I’m talking about the events of your life, the exciting moments you live through as a human, being replaced (and validated or measured) by your documentation of those moments in social media.
It’s been said that Instagram, for example, is like a highlight reel for individuals to display their finest moments for all to see. That is mostly true. People can take things they’re proud of having done or been a part of and share that with the world. So far, no harm here.
I recognized something about myself when I used Instagram though. If I had a significant event I wanted to share, like a photo of an amazing wave I’d caught, I would forget details of the actual experience over time. I ended up looking at the photo posted to my account so much that whenever I thought about the green, doubled-up, spitting left, all I could recall was that particular frame of it. From checking my likes and comments to receiving push notifications I’d eventually see that same photo a hundred times, rather than relishing the single change I had to live that wave in real life and real time. Slowly, the fleeting memory of the actual experience was replaced in my head by the picture living online.
The positive reinforcement of getting those bright orange notifications only adds to the problem. We get used to being rewarded when we receive likes and comments. Others validate our pursuits by acknowledging that we’ve done something commendable. This is nice, but eventually that emotion – the minor high of getting attention via smartphone – replaces the original positive-vibe-supernova-implosion of endorphins and dopamine you associate with catching that amazing wave in real life.
In the end, the only thing that’s left from that moment is a photo. No detailed memory of that great wave, burnt into your memory, bringing back stoke every time you tell the story to a friend or think about it as you fall asleep at night. Just the semi-satisfying knowledge that you got a few likes.
But of course we don’t need to be validated. Step away from the machines. Do what you like to do because of the organic benefits, especially with something you can enjoy outdoors. Rather than letting hundreds of people know you just did something amazing, savor it on your own for a little while. Walk around smiling when you think about it. Relive it in your head as many times as you like. It’s your experience, you earned it and you can have it forever. Thrive off of your accomplishments and let them shape your character. Wait until the time is right, then recall it in every glorious detail with a few close friends who will actually listen and care, kicking back with some beers, sitting around a campfire and genuinely re-living an awesome experience.
