Thoughts on Distractions

So it's been shown that social media presence in our lives has only added more distractions and increased our desire to "multi-task"-making it harder to focus on one simple task. Imagine trying to saute onions, whilst simultaneously chopping potatoes, AND  caramelizing sugar for bread pudding. Any of these tasks are simple by themselves, but if you look away too long, you could burn the caramel, the onions, or cut your finger off!!
Social media has amplified our need for constant connection- rewarding users with "dings" of notifications when someone likes, comments or messages them. It conditions users to feel instant gratification, but is unhealthy in the long run if one doesn't find balance. Imagine a kid hearing a ding every time his cake is done baking in the oven- any time he hears it, he will feel the same feelings of excitement, even if there is no cake!  It's an interesting phenomenon, because there is no real reward from using social media- it is sweetly distracting us from real life with virtual reality. 

Thoughts on Psychology of Social Media

So we spend a lot of time cooking it up on social media...How is that affecting us?

Social media networking has opened so many doors, but simultaneously has locked us in its addictive loop; rewarding us with zings of notifications, follower requests and likes. We all know the delicious satisfaction of getting the approval of others- and with social media, we have not only been feeding this hunger, but have made ourselves hungrier! People are craving more likes, a larger audience, a bigger stage. 

Yes, sites like Facebook have allowed us to connect with one another, disregarding physical boundaries, but do they actually satisfy our thirst for friendship with virtual relationships?  

We are getting more information in our news feeds on Twitter, but are we getting full of knowledge or simply becoming desensitized to the term 'breaking news'?

During this class, the bare bones of today's social media networks will be spit out, and thoroughly analyzed from various angles before digesting their contents and tasting the impact on users.