A New Drug
There is a new drug out there, and we are all hooked.
Its resulting effects include a short-term dopamine hit and the illusion of gaining tremendous superhuman strength in the management of multiple activities at one time. The user believes that they are able to harness such power and control over space and time, that they fail to realize every single activity actually suffers. This drug clouds judgment, impairs the perception of what we experience, and manufacturers anxiety by forcing the user to meet unrealistic expectations of themselves.
The drug is legal and readily available through largely trusted platforms and highly marketed means. The paraphernalia required for its use is expensive, often financed, and seen as a status symbol. It is highly addictive. The use of this drug is condoned and even required by teachers, administrators, employers, customers, and friends. Prolonged and intense use has been linked to the inability to look someone in the eye during a conversation, decreased desire to have a verbal exchange, limited patience for long form storytelling, and the transmigration of states from a participant in the present moment to a documentarian of it.
Technology is a necessary part of the human experience, but how do you know if the human side is suffering? Do you get stuck in the digital dopamine cycles? Yeah. Me too.
It all starts with an innocent check in to LinkedIn, then, as if automated by algorithm, I cycle through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Before I know it, thirty minutes goes by and I’ve depleted valuable mental energy without any tangible outcome. Not all actions need to be tracked by KPI’s, but time and energy are my most valuable assets.
So, how do you leverage social media without getting caught up in the dopamine cycle?
Create more than you consume. You have a story to tell.
Set windows to interact on social platforms, but be reasonable in your expectations.
Disable notifications on all social media. Jump in on your terms.
Be a great steward of creative energy. Don’t waste it on the scrolling cycle.
Write by hand for fifteen minutes each day to know where to apply that energy.
