Social Media... it's not all bad, right?
- Austin Boer
- Jan 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 18
Written by: Austin Boer
The original vision for social media was simple: connecting people. A digital space where we could share life's moments with family and friends, see their photos, and stay updated on their lives. Yet somehow we've drifted far from that purpose. These days, I find myself scrolling past endless sponsored ads just to catch a glimpse of my friend's new baby photos. The very thing social media was created for seems to have gotten lost in the noise.
I often think about how different things would be if platforms had stayed true to their original mission... oh, would you look at that – I just got sucked into watching reels while fact-checking this article.
Despite this shift, I think it's important to point out that social media has contributed positively to my life in many ways. During my time living in China, something remarkable happened. A friend shared a National Geographic post about an abandoned fishing village. That single post led me down a rabbit hole of research, eventually inspiring an entire trip to the outskirts of Shanghai. I even weathered a typhoon during the adventure! Without social media, I might never have discovered that hidden gem. This wasn't an isolated incident – similar discoveries sparked several of my travels.
Living abroad showed me another valuable side of social media. It's an invaluable lifeline to stay connected with my friends and family, especially after giving up my original phone number while traveling. I've even managed to rekindle old friendships through these platforms.
The longer I have thought about the impacts of social media on my life, I see that these services aren't inherently destructive. When used with intention, these platforms can serve meaningful purposes – from keeping tabs on family and friends, to discovering travel destinations, or finding that perfect recipe. For those who can harness social media to serve specific goals, it can be a powerful tool. But for many of us, myself included, the challenge lies in separating its utility from its entertainment value. The gravitational pull of endless content makes it difficult to maintain that balance.
In my own life, I chose to make the switch to a simpler, non-distracting smartphone. In 2023 I switched to the SLEKE. Phone as my primary device and I haven't looked back. It still gives me the messaging portions of social apps like Instagram without giving me access to the addicting portions of the platforms. Since switching, I've noticed something interesting: when I occasionally access social media on other devices, the magic has faded. Even brief sessions feel overwhelming and anxiety inducing, despite feeling the persistent urge to keep scrolling. This experience is what reminds me why I switched. By removing anytime access to social media apps, I am able to avoid this anxiety-ridden experience and use the platforms more intentionally when I choose to do so - be that for communication or for finding things that enrich my real life like recipes or travel destinations.
Perhaps the key to a healthier relationship with social media is choosing to use these platforms as they were originally intended - as bridges that connect us to the people and experiences that truly matter. While we may not be able to change how social media platforms evolve, we can certainly change how we interact with them, making conscious choices about when and how we engage. After all, social media is just a tool - and like any tool, its value lies not in its existence, but in how we choose to use it.
