Title: How social media is actually making you feel more alone | by E.B. Johnson | LV Development | Medium
Headings: How social media is actually making you feel more alone
How social media is actually making you feel more alone
Social media is exacerbating our feelings of loneliness. Can we overcome our addiction and find our happiness again?
The study.
What it means.
Displacement of social experiences
Idealized over-exposure
Feelings of exclusion
The worst side effect of social media overuse.
How to reign in your social media use.
1. Delete all social media apps from your phone and/or tablet.
2. Turn off the notifications.
3. Keep your phone out of sight (and silent) for meals, get-togethers, meetings and conversations.
4. Ease into the process.
5. Find a new fix in the real world.
Putting it all together…
The mindful social media practices that will make you happier
Social media can be a powerful weapon for change when you know how to wield it.

Content: Displacement of social experiences
The more time that one spends online, the less time one has for real-world social interactions. For this reason, increased social media use can actually lead to a displacement of critical social experiences; making it hard (if not impossible) for us to connect on the deeply personal levels we need in order to feel heard, appreciated and seen. Idealized over-exposure
When it comes to social media we only post our highlight reels, doing our damndest to make sure everyone thinks our life is perfect and we are above reproach. The problem with this, however, is that this exposure to overidealized lifestyles and exagerrated victories can lead you to develop a skewed sense of self and reality. No one’s life is perfect, but it can be hard to see that when you’re stuck in a constant digital Race Against the Jones’. Feelings of exclusion
Surprise! Platforms like Facebook can actually increase the feeling or perception that you’re being excluded — leading to hurt feelings and greater social isolation on your part. Seeing pictures of friends enjoying themselves at events you didn’t attend only helps to build the false narrative that you’re alone and disliked (something which, in a vicious cycle, makes you more desperate for the pitiable attention platforms like Facebook provide.) The worst side effect of social media overuse.