Last Monday, we talked about whether we should quit social media with GRF Sara. Just as many Rose scholars pointed out, social media brings lots of pleasure for us. We share interesting videos and share memorable moments of our life. Even if we do not post too much, it is still a great platform for us to know the latest news of our friends and family far away. As an international student who lives far away from my hometown, I deeply feel the same. WeChat/Facebook is an important tool for me to get connect with family/friends for me. However, I also realize the opposite side of social media. For example, people usually post their happy moments in social media and avoid the negative side. There are some potential psychological problems caused by this phenomena. There are also some very radical and bias words spreading around the social media, which attacks others psychologically even not intentionally.

At the end, I believe that we should not abandon social media completely, but we need to be more careful about the way we use it.

When I watched the TED Talk that was assigned to this particular Table Talk, I was bothered by Dr. Cal Newport’s very uncompromising view on social media: it’s bad. Don’t use it. There’s no positive that could come out of Facebook or Twitter or any of the other social media sites. It almost felt like he was looking down on others who had these accounts, even if they used them responsibly. Coming to the Table Talk, I noticed that most people felt the same way. I particularly liked the comment that, since Dr. Newport had never used such services (as he often mentioned during the talk) he wouldn’t be able to critique social media as well as someone who had used it before. Additionally, people mentioned that social media brings them joy in the form of connecting to people who are difficult to reach otherwise, funny memes and jokes, and inspiration. That being said, he did bring up some interesting points, such as listing social media as entertainment, and its role in fragmenting our attention span. I just feel that he being far too black and white with this issue. Instead of removing social media altogether, as Dr. Newport very strongly suggests, I think it would be better for us to regulate our social media use. I personally don’t have the Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram apps on my phone, despite having accounts on all of these, and it’s helped me cut down on aimless social media scrolling simply because I didn’t have easy access to it. And if I want to use FB or Twitter during a time in which I don’t have much to do, I can open my laptop and access the desktop version. I don’t think complete cold turkey removal is necessary; it’s possible to reap the aforementioned benefits from social media while limiting its effects on productivity.

On Monday, I went to the table talk to join GRF Sara to discuss the use of social media. The talk was inspired by a TedTalk by Cal Newport, who does not use social media. In the video, Dr. Newport was attempting to crown himself as a better man than social media users because he does not feel the urge to use these applications. Dr. Newport only considered the negative aspects of social media, when in reality there are many beneficial things that individuals can gain from social media platforms.

In my experience using social media, I have found that it has done an exceptional job of keeping me up to date with personal relationships as well as global news. I will say, however, that Dr. Newport is probably right, and that I could probably be more productive without social media. Just today, I have found myself constantly being distracted by social media when trying to study. I do blame myself for this, however, rather than the actual applications, as it would be just as easy to be distracted by television.

At the end of the discussion, we discussed how social media provides a platform for anonymous cyber bullying. To me, this is the biggest problem that social media presents. Many people feel unbreakable and powerful because they can hide behind a computer screen and bully other individuals. This has caused a lot of depression and even suicide among young teens in recent years. Additionally, privacy has become a huge concern regarding social media due to the latest Mark Zuckerberg scandal. In all honesty, I have known that my data probably has been unsafe for years, and it has not really bothered me all that much. In conclusion, I think that Dr. Newport did not consider the benefits that social media has to offer, and while it can be distracting, it provides entertainment, connections, and happiness to billions of people.

In the Table Talk on Monday, we talked about a TED by Dr. Cal Newport about how he’s never used social media, but has led a better/more productive life because of it.

That made me think about whether or not MY life would be better and more productive without social media. The answer is, I think, yes! and at the same time, no.

I will admit, in the days after the table talk, I uninstalled the Facebook app from my phone. I did find myself reaching for my phone to start aimlessly scrolling through stories and videos, only stopping when I remember that I don’t have Facebook installed…. so I think there are some very valid points in Newport’s TED talk about how social media gives us constant stimuli which causes us to be more distracted. I definitely agree with him on that (obviously, since I keep reaching for my phone!), but I think social media was never a particularly big issue for me when I’m working and studying. My Facebook use is mostly during lunch (if I’m eating alone), when I wake up or go to sleep–which yes, takes up a big chunk of time (and that’s time I now have back!) but it’s not particularly detrimental to my overall productivity, as Newport suggested.

So, from that standpoint, I think if I got rid of social media completely, I would have a lot of time for myself, whether it be spent working or doing something I enjoy doing (reading, lounging around, sleeping more, etc!)

On the other hand, I actually can’t get myself to deactivate Facebook completely. I actually “text” all my friends and family through Facebook messenger… in fact, most of my friends don’t really text anyone anymore. Yes, I’m sure they would switch over if I asked (and they have before, when I uninstalled messenger on my phone for exams etc), but it really is the main messaging app I have right now.

In addition, I also use social media to publicize my orchestra concerts, piano recitals, and stay in touch with family outside of the country. I think social media is the main why people my age communicate today, and getting rid of it completely just isn’t 100% feasible.

However, that being said, I also haven’t gotten rid of it completely, so who am I to say it’s not feasible for someone my age? But I also don’t think Newport, as a person who has never used social media, can really tell us how to live our lives and how that could potentially improve it seeing that he’s never used it himself.

Just like everything in this world… moderation is key. If social media is taking you away from living your life (checking your phone constantly when you’re with friends or family, for example), then obviously you should tone it down with the social media usage. But for me, it doesn’t have a huge place in my life, and I find it easy to put it away when I’m working, so I don’t think it would increase my productivity or improve my life drastically if I cut it out completely.

In yesterday’s Table Talks, we discussed the pros and cons of using social media. The general consensus that we came to which I agree with is that moderation when it comes to using social media is probably the best and that people need to be cautious about what they share online. I personally do not think that privacy exists on the Internet – when I share something on Facebook, I make sure that these are posts that I would not mind the public seeing. I think that we have gotten too comfortable with social media and that people tend to share more information than they should on it. With regards to the current Facebook scandal, I am also reminded that there is so much happening behind the scene that we do not know about. In an age where almost everything relies on the Internet, can we ever be 100% sure that our information is in the right hands?

I really enjoyed the table talk that tapped into the debate over whether social media is worth it that has ensued following the Facebook data-leakage scandal. What participants’ insights and comments really captured is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to weigh social media’s costs against its benefits. This weighing is becoming increasingly difficult because it seems that for every benefit to which one can point, there is another cost that can be emphasized. As our discussion touched on, for example, humorous accounts can offer a much needed laugh when someone needs to step away from his or her mountain of books, but as social media is increasingly becoming a forum of entertaining, funny content, users may cross the line between funny and hurtful or problematic in their quest for views and affirmation. When someone’s worst moment, for example, is captured without their consent or knowledge and uploaded to an Instagram account like 5^th and receives millions of views, that moment may become a catalyst of unkind comments and a source of intense emotional suffering for the people captured, or the people close to those captured, in the video or picture. Pointing to another set of concerns that were breached in our discussion, situations like these highlight the potentially problematic consequences of the permanency of content uploaded to social media as well as the erosion of privacy that may result from this permanency. On social media, once a mistake is made—whether that mistake affects you or another—it is nearly impossible to undo it. Indeed, as a couple students alluded to this point, I started to think about how much cognitive energy individuals need to spend just to dissect what is appropriate to post, how much posting is too much, or too little, posting, and how others will interpret whatever content is eventually posted. It is this cognitive effort and concern that I think the potentially damaging effects that social media can have on mental health become readily apparent. Social media is certainly a reflection of the social world, and in the same way that individuals are pressured to create a socially desirable identity in real life, they are pressured to create one online.

A major take away from this table talk, in my opinion, having an open discussion about how the ways individuals are using social media, and the way platforms collect data from this usage, have real social and even political consequences is extremely important. The fact that it is increasingly difficult to extricate the benefits of social media from the costs of social media or to determine whether costs outweigh benefits, or vice versa, seems to only make that discussion more important. In discussing what is beneficial about how social media is used and what is problematic about how social media is used, people can not only come to an informed consensus about what they expect from platforms but also share strategies for maximizing the benefits of social media while minimizing the costs.

My initial thoughts on Carl Newport’s TED Talk… I was brought to attention but not surprised that social media could have such an adverse effect on my attention span.  As a college student, this worries me the most out of all of his claims.  I know my concentration is extremely terrible but I never considered it could all be because of social media.  I will definitely be giving up some of my social media in an effort to regain focus on my studies.  (Pinterest not included. (; )

Newport has never experienced social media himself which I admit is unsettling since he advocates so strongly against it.  However, he has done extensive research and explains that quitting social media is much like a detox.  It usually takes two weeks for a user to not feel anxious about their time and inability to check their pages.  I believe this because I’ve experienced it on a small scale.  I quit twitter during the weeks and redownload it over the weekend in an effort to help me focus.  Mondays and Tuesdays I find myself checking my phone for my Twitter app.  Once I remember I’ve deleted it I then am compelled to think about the seriousness of the situation.  Usually I’m checking it because I don’t want to focus on something I’m supposed to be focusing on like homework or a lecture.  I’ve always believed Twitter is extremely addicting but was even more alarmed when Newport claimed it was designed to be addictive.

In addition to the neurological issues, the commercial and political cons of social media are too numerous.  The ways data collectors and companies are able to access and store your personal information and your online trends is scary.  We touched a little bit on the political scandals and soon-to-be trials surrounding this at our table talk today with GRF Sara.  I think we can’t really trust any of our privacy settings anymore.  There’s too much money involved and too many conspiracies out there for me to believe my information is safe.