Social media is the new smoking

column

March 28, 2024

By Martin Eisenlauer

Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

Martin Eisenlauer describes himself as a nerd. In his column for VDI nachrichten, the experienced tech editor promises to illuminate the bizarre and often misunderstood aspects of the technological world in a humorous way.

Let’s be honest: do you really use social media for activities that deserve the word social? In the past few weeks I have taken a critical look at my usage behavior on Instagram, I found myself quite anti-social there.

What great ideas were those that Facebook, Myspace & Co. once came up with. Web 2.0 was supposed to connect the world, transfer knowledge, overcome boundaries, and simply make everything more beautiful and better.

Pretty much the opposite happened: on X, people tell me how stupid I am. Linkedin makes me believe that in addition to working a 60-hour week, I could still happily raise children and found a social impact start-up on a voluntary basis. Instagram shows me recipes for sugary cakes or tips for more effective training next to the cleavage of young women. And so I end up confused and overwhelmed on Tiktok, where I happily smile and watch dog videos while ignoring my herding dog Lina.

No room for free thinking in the echo chamber

The social impact of social media is devastating. On a personal level, anxiety disorders, insecurity and depression, including suicide, are frequently discussed consequences. In society, there are also social divisions, a brutalization of the culture of discussion and tolerance, and the rise of extremist parties. In addition, the networks eat up an incredible amount of time and the echo chambers built up in them are so dense that they take away the air from which you can think freely.

“Then why don’t you just stop?” you might ask (not entirely wrongly). Because to this day I keep telling myself that there is valuable content among all the trivialities and toxic nonsense. And because, like so many addicts, I love the poison that harms me.