I’m a novelist and I find I watch people quite a bit, maybe especially now in this era where our digital life seems to be larger than our real life. One thing I notice is how social media has insidiously crept upon us without warning and started controlling us — maybe especially our younger generation.
What was once a way to connect and to share now often feels like a trap.
Worry about going offline, inability to sleep, craving likes, and feeling disconnected from real people—these are some common signs of social media addiction. I once interviewed a teenage girl who confessed to having erased her post minutes later because it hadn’t gotten “enough” likes. Unfortunately, I witnessed this same habit even among adults. It’s hurtful to watch self-worth calibrated in numbers on a screen.
By nature, social media is addictive. Endless scrolling, instant notifications, and algorithmic feeds are designed to be addictive. Young minds are most vulnerable to this cycle.
I’ve personally had to create boundaries. I manage my time, I handpick what I follow, and I take regular digital detoxes. A thoughtless swipe can impact your feed for weeks, so I aim to put productivity ahead of mindless scrolling.
Parents and teachers also have a great role to play. Children learn what they observe. Unfortunately, some parents even use their children for material only to earn views. Kids should instead be taught to create offline interests and ground-level confidence.
With influencer culture flourishing, a lot of younger people are in pursuit of online stardom. My message to them? Simple: Create, don’t consume. Prioritize purpose over popularity. Develop genuine competencies, foster genuine relationships, and keep this in mind at all times: Your worth isn’t measured in likes or followers.
And social media networks have a role to play too. If they can shape behavior then they need to construct their networks in an ethical way too. All growth without ethics is manipulation.
Eventually, social media is not the issue—it’s how we use it. Every now and then we need to take a step back and ask ourselves: Are we using social media or is social media using us?
Know Your Author – Ashreeta Mohanty
From Bhubaneswar to Bangalore, Ashreeta’s journey reflects resilience, passion, and the power of words.
An award-winning writer and blogger, she inspires through her works on empowerment, spirituality, and social change.
Check out her published book and follow her on social media to explore more of her inspiring writings.
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