Distraction and addiction go hand in hand, and in the case of social media, it’s a vicious cycle. The more we’re driven to check our apps for new likes or updates, the less we engage with the things that actually matter. It’s not just about time—it’s about focus and commitment, too. Social media trains us to bounce from one piece of content to the next at breakneck speed, with our eyes barely lingering on a picture for five seconds.
As a result, in our real lives, when it comes time to concentrate on something for a prolonged period, it feels like a Herculean effort. Now, I’m not saying that lack of focus is only caused by social media. But let’s be honest: mindlessly scrolling through feeds certainly doesn’t help build the focus muscle we need to tackle anything that requires sustained attention.