Social Media, Dopamine and the Lonely World We Created

D.A.R.E. To Resist ‘Likes’ and ‘Follows’

I’m far from the first person to rant about social media addiction. And I’m certainly not the first to half-ironically post it online afterwards, effectively welcoming the very same viral criticism that, originally, had left me feeling disgusted enough to write this piece. It’s a strange paradox — and one which only feels at home in this strange present — all of us doing our best to integrate with this ever-changing technological landscape, that, only ten years ago, could scarcely be fathomed. Rooms occupied entirely by people glued to their cellphones are becoming so common that even complaining about them is beginning to sound like another tired and contrived intro to the same article. And before you tell me to step off my high horse by being that millennial to lecture other millennials, I’d like to make it clear that I’m a particularly bad offender here. I’ve experienced addictive tendencies toward social media since I created my first Facebook account in seventh grade. And even before that, in fifth grade, with the now-late AOL Instant Messenger (R.I.P.).

On a related note, it’s not a secret that I’ve been to college and tried more than a few substances. Social media is different. I don’t think many of us would dispute that social media is often a negative influence in our lives…