Mental health and social media are two topics that are increasingly being discussed in the same breath. The widespread use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter has changed the way we communicate and interact with each other, and it has also had an impact on our mental health.
One of the main mental health issues associated with social media use is the comparison trap. Seeing others' curated and often idealized online personas can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. This is especially true for younger people who are still developing their sense of identity and self-worth.
Many studies have correlated the usage of social media with worsening of the mental health of their users. However, a causal link, indicating that the usage of social media being the main cause behind the mental problems had been absent until a research study that came out recently. The finding showed that usage of Facebook resulted in increased anxiety and depression among college students.
Often the content shared on these platforms is carefully curated and presented in a way that presents a particular image or identity. As a result, the content that people see on social media can be very different from the "real" lives of the people who are posting it. This can lead to a phenomenon known as "social media comparison," where people compare their own lives to the carefully crafted and curated content that they see on social media. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy or discontent, as people may feel that their own lives do not measure up to the seemingly perfect lives that they see on social media.
Goodhart’s Law is a principle that states that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. In the context of social media, this means that when the focus of an activity shifts from enjoying the activity itself to taking good photos or creating content for social media, the activity itself becomes less enjoyable and meaningful.
This can be particularly true for people who use social media to share content about their lives and activities. The pressure to create and share good content can distract from the enjoyment of the activity itself, as the focus shifts from participating in the activity to documenting it.
A social media free from above issues
Confluo is a task assistant and social networking platform that aims to shift the focus away from content creation and back towards activities and tasks. While other social media platforms often prioritize the creation and sharing of polished content, Confluo prioritizes the organization and completion of tasks.
In Confluo, each task has an optional highlight and skills attached to it. When a task is added to the calendar, the highlight is automatically shared with followers, while the skills are added to the user's profile. This encourages users to focus on the activities and tasks themselves, rather than on creating and sharing content about them.
By prioritizing tasks and activities over content creation, Confluo aims to help users stay organized and find time for the things they enjoy. This approach aims to shift the focus back to the activities and tasks themselves, rather than on the posts and photos that are created as a by-product of those activities.