Can Social Media be equally addictive and a force for good?
According to an article on Stanford Medicine, Dopamine, the main chemical involved in addiction, is secreted from certain nerve tracts in the brain when we engage in a rewarding experience such as finding food, clothing, shelter, or a sexual mate. Nature designed our brains to feel pleasure when these experiences happen because they increase our odds off survival and of procreation.” [1]
The advent of social media in the early 2000s seemed harmless at first. There was already a little distance developing amongst humans and so the opportunity to “connect” on another platform seemed like a harmless and fun way of consuming information and breaking geographic boundaries. Then came the “like” and “retweet” functions in the case of Facebook and Twitter and the masses got hooked on a type of Dopamine. Given that most people engaging with social media likely had good access to food, shelter, and a level of companionship, did we unlock a new reward mechanism for our brains? Maybe. Research on brain architecture indicates that the brain (from childhood) is always developing new connections and there is enough evidence backing neuroplasticity[2]. Each time we learn something, new connections form and if they are offering some form of “temporary reward”, then that could explain why a large portion of society grapples with addiction to social media. The alarming thing is that the change brought about by the influence of these apps in our lives is happening so fast, has occurred in such a short time (just over two decades) and almost exponentially. While we seem more connected than ever and news is literally at our fingertips, there are some adverse consequences directly linked to social media such as deteriorating mental health among youth and Gen Z evidenced by the teen mental illness epidemic in the mid 2000s due to engagement in social media apps.[3]
Is the use of social media all bad?
I don’t think so and I will explain why. In June 2024, Kenyan youth (Gen Z) used the power of social media to challenge something that had never been challenged before. Using technology and social media, they self-organized and put together peaceful protests dubbed the “Gen Z protests” that demonstrated their grasp of their constitutional rights and agency[4]. What was striking about these protests is that “our children” were fighting against social vices such as corruption and wastage and reimagining the future of Kenya. Thankfully Kenya has a good democratic space provided by a vibrant constitution and this time around, the “kids” showed us how to translate the constitutional rights into action. They used WhatsApp, X, Instagram, TikTok and other apps as a coordination start point. Everyone knew where they were supposed to meet and when. The agenda was well laid out and equally understood by the tens of thousands who participated in the protests. It was so well organized that it formed a paradigm shift on the idea of agency and claiming constitutional rights. Even the adults across the country, and youth from other neighboring countries, borrowed a leaf and begun to speak out. The Gen Z were protesting a finance bill that would sharply raise the cost of living, propagate corruption and dim their future aspirations. The bill did not pass so they were successful, but unfortunately there was also collateral damage that continues to date. What begun as peaceful protests turned ugly, violent and leading to looting and unnecessary destruction of property and the loss of lives. To date, social media has remained a key source of information and calls for demanding accountability.
This is just one example of how I think social media can be a powerful force for good and I dare say one of evil at the same time. Gen Z’s in my country turned the dopamine reward for a worthy cause – but the salient addiction to social media has not gone away.
How might we slow down the addictive nature of social media apps?
The article by Jonathan Haidt and Eric Schmidt, “Social Media is Warping Democracy” featured on The Atlantic indicates that “social media is not intrinsically bad and has the power to do good-as when it brings to light previously hidden harms and gives voice to previously powerless communities.” [5]So how might we reduce the unhealthy highs brought about by the social media apps. One suggestion is “demetrication” – which means obscuring like and share counts to curb off public popularity. Increasing the age at which children can actively engage with social media apps to 16 years is one other way to prevent and manage addiction. Another article suggests taking a timeout – for a whole month as a pathway to freeing ourselves from this “drug” of choice. Whatever the options we decide on, if we turned our focus to doing good, then social media is a solid avenue to advance great ideas for humanity.
[1] https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2021/10/29/addictive-potential-of-social-media-explained/
[2] https://solportal.ibe-unesco.org/articles/neuroplasticity-how-the-brain-changes-with-learning/
[3] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/05/generative-ai-social-media-integration-dangers-disinformation-addiction/673940/
[4] https://www.african-cities.org/youth-uprising-how-gen-z-protests-could-shift-kenyas-power-structures/
[5] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/social-media-democracy/600763/
About the Author
Alex Mwaura
11 responses to “Can Social Media be equally addictive and a force for good?”
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Alex, I have a question. You said, “I think social media can be a powerful force for good and I dare say one of evil at the same time. Gen Z’s in my country turned the dopamine reward for a worthy cause – but the salient addiction to social media has not gone away.”
Beyond organizing protests, which was cool to follow last summer, how do you see social media helping youth in Kenya?
Robert, thanks for the question. Beyond organizing the protests, Gen Z have also managed to advocate for the release of abducted individuals following the protests. They have also used social media to deepen citizen awareness on various issues. But there is also damaging aspects too.
Thank you, Alex. I am encouraged to hear that such high numbers of Gen Z were fighting against social vices such as corruption and wastage and reimagining the future of Kenya. But I was also saddened to hear that the peaceful protests turned ugly. Do you know what sparked the negative change, and was that related to social media?
I am still reflecting on how we can create safer boundaries around technology that are across whole ages and stages. My 16-year-old son’s school has banned phones during school hours, and that has increased movement and conversation again. Do the schools in Kenya allow phones?
Thanks Betsy. It was both a positive and negative moment for Kenya. The protests were infiltrated by non-peaceful protesters. Even though their infiltration wasn’t linked to social media, their actions were recorded and used to demand for justice. Regarding the phone use, most public schools in Kenya don’t allow phones in school but you’d be suprised how many kids have access to social media. Based on what I learned from the readings, I think the ban until the age of 16 or 18 in the case of Kenya would be good.
Alex, I’m glad you are in the program and can share experiences that I might not see from my corner of the world.
I agree that the ideals of social media are exciting and can be used for good. Haidt paints the picture of how the technology in the late 2000’s led to some positive outcomes. The Netflix documentary ‘The Social Dilemma’ showed the evolution of social media technology once eyeballs could be converted into revenues. The system turned toward demanding the attention of users. The haunting line from that documentary was, “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.”[1]
Newspapers are losing paid subscribers and are struggling for their financial lives. One of the arguments for funding journalism is coverage of news ‘without fear or favor’.[2] One could argue that much of social media is for fame and fortune. For full disclosure, I pay for a NYT subscription and I don’t have an account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Yes, I’m old.
I’m curious of your statement that “social media has remained a key source of information.” I’m not doubting this possibility. I’m wondering how it can be tested. Has there been some level of independence or fact-checking? Is it simply the number of original voices as opposed to retweets and likes?
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Dilemma
[2] https://www.nytco.com/press/journalisms-essential-value/
Rich, I haven’t seen this documentary but I may do so now. “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product” feels both chilling and real.
Early Internet advocates promised that it would significantly improve access to information. I think the unspoken assumption was that it would be true and accurate information!
I, too, have rejected social media as a source for news in favor of paid subscriptions to journalistic publications (The Economist and The Atlantic in my case). Where I used to be frustrated by news that was behind a paywall, I now happily exchange money for the work required to gather information, write, and report. Bias and motives of the owner groups remains something to consider, but I’m happier with the arrangement overall.
Good question Rich. I think it depends on what you curate on social media feeds. Without paid subscriptions I follow news around the world from reputable media outlets and individuals. But its harder to sift for the reliable and credible sources of news-type of information. It takes intention to keep ones feed focused on helpful information. And also, I think true journalism has formed into something else and there are fewer critical pieces and beats. I remember that quote on Netflixs’ documentary “The Social Dilema”…quite sobering.
Thank you for the empowering story of how youth made a difference in Kenya’s government policies. Social media really can be a “force for good”. I have seen this in a chat platform between Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Arab youth. These divided people groups meet together online to have discussion in a way to understand and humanize each other. Good is also seen in the global connections to people you would have never even know of in the past.
Alex, the fact that I am in a cohort with you in Kenya and myself in Oregon is one of the amazing benefits of our digital age.
I’m happy to hear about the chat platform between Israeli and Palestinian youth. It represents the good in social media platforms and the potential to create connections. I’m also grateful for the benefit of being in the same cohort with you (many miles and time zones apart) trying to contribute in making our world better.
Hi Alex, thank you for your blogpost. I enjoyed your hopeful lean in when you discussed technology being used for good. You mentioned the peaceful protests against corruption and the project managers’ ability to coordinate on various social platforms. You also highlighted a way of taking time outs for one’s general health as well.
Alex, I wonder if there might be other creative ways you’ve seen a Mastering of the technology to protect oneself from the negative effects of Technology.
Thanks Judith. I’m still trying to figure out how to limit my overuse of technology. I’ve found that being aware of how much time I’m spending online helps me regulate my engagement with the apps.