How is social media and AI impacting our mental health?
I started working at Google in Sydney in 2007 when the iPhone came out.
Working for 5 years in sales roles exposed me to market trends and research on changing consumer behaviour. From the pilot's seat, I witnessed the impact of screens on society. Then came social media—Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, Strava.
We were gifted the latest Android phone each year, which went from being a brick-like slow device to becoming a slender supercomputer.
We all know where we are today. We are hitched at the hip with our beautiful phones that take amazing photos and videos, with apps that make life more convenient but ultimately are designed to be addictive. Social media is a double-edged sword. On the flip side of the benefits, there is life being sucked out of us as we doom scroll. Designed to be addictive with algorithms that get to know us so intimately, they can feed us videos tailored to what we engage with.
Don’t get me wrong—I love Instagram for all the cycling videos and insightful content. But I have had to question the time I waste scrolling. It's especially challenging with ADHD, as you become addicted to the dopamine effects. How many hours do I waste on social media a week? I would hate to add it up. Does this support my mental health?
Surprisingly, we are still in the early days of research on social media's impacts on mental health. The subject is like a can of worms, so this is more of a topline introduction.
Many studies show the negative effects in terms of fuelling anxiety, depression and even suicide in cases where bullying is involved. However, for young people, it's how they connect with each other, and clearly, there are benefits to staying connected with friends and family. And for many, it is becoming their business as content creators.
The question is - how do we find the balance?
When the device and the apps are designed to be addictive, this is a similar struggle to being a drug addict.
When social media is a key marketing channel for our businesses, removing the apps and getting off the drug is impossible. And let's be honest, we all benefit in some way. So when is too much?
How we moderate and find the balance is a challenge, especially as mental health is so multifaceted and interwoven. Rituals like no phones an hour before bed can help us sleep, or avoiding social media in the morning can help break the cycle of craving dopamine and getting distracted to be more productive. However, I use the Insight Timer app for morning meditations and SoundCloud to play music.
This is the backbone of a mental health workshop I have created. It uses the power of self-awareness, reflection, and intention-setting to create positive changes in our routines and build the lifestyle pillars that support our mental health. It's an ongoing process of self-awareness, reflecting on what is serving us and when is too much, and setting intentions and goals to create positive change.
Touching on the value of social media and AI for purpose discovery
Weaving purpose into this discussion is an interesting one as youth are mostly informed by social media, with the plethora of thought leaders and influences sharing life insights on how to make the most out of life and with the opportunity to follow and engage with causes they care about. There is no question that our youth are more purpose-driven than previous generations. They are more connected to the issues and less enchanted by the program society puts in front of them. In many ways, they can lead change as content creators.
AI scripts can actually help you along the purpose and self-discovery journey by collating insights from the internet. We can only imagine what's coming!
But fundamentally, the key guidepost to discovering our purpose is through investing time and energy in our passions. In most cases, this means time off screens, even if social media enabled you to create and promote the event for said passion.
Is time wasted scrolling phones getting in the way of discovering and living our passions?
Making sense of it all
If you are a parent with young kids, I am sure you are grappling with how to manage the time your kids spend on screens, which distract them from time in nature and active play.
But we have to accept that times are changing. With the advances enabled by AI, I can only imagine the speed of change, having seen the impact of smartphone adoption over the last 15 years.
While AI will continue to suck us into the vortex, there is no question that there will be applications that can proactively support someone’s mental health.
To finish up, I would like to showcase a thought-provoking TedX talk by my good friend Dr Kaushik Ram, PhD , a neuroscientist who discusses research on the impacts of technology on our human abilities and mental health.
Sadly, and unbelievably, TedX banned his Talk from being listed on its public channels (this baffles me!). But you can watch it below.
It's a fascinating talk in which he shares his journey from neuroscientist to living in a cave (!) and then explores the impacts of technology on our brains and human behaviour.
Can you understand why TedX banned the talk? I can understand this is a dark topic, but surely, it's beneficial for us all to be aware of the impact of technology and think about how we can start to take ownership as individuals and parents to create time away from technology. Learn more about Kaushik's offerings to help address these challenges.
My takeaway is simple:
We need to spend more time in nature, away from screens, to connect to ourselves. Let our nervous systems rest, reflect, and practice gratitude to create space for intuition and intention-setting with how we ‘find the balance’ in the changing paradigm of what it means to be human.
How am I making a difference?
Maybe I can help you, your organisation, or someone you know?
My purpose is to help people thrive in life and become changemakers with a range of offerings:
Mental Health Talks and Workshops for companies. Inspiring and insightful talks and workshops to help employees find the balance to optimise the joy of life outside work and productivity at work. PM for more info.
One-on-one purpose coaching for those in career transition searching for meaningful work or seeking purpose in retirement.
Discover Your Purpose Course 6-week course, an affordable option for anyone looking to dive deeper into themselves to fast track their path to purpose. The next course starts on the 28th of May.
Start-up coaching for social entrepreneurs. I provide a combination of business, marketing and mental health support to help founders create sustainable offerings that create meaningful change.
