How Social Media Shortens Your Life and How to Expand It

9 months ago

Social media platforms manipulate our perception of time, making us lose track of it and effectively shortening our lives.
The 'Lethe effect' describes how social media impairs memory, making it hard to recall what we've seen even after hours of scrolling.
Casino design principles, like those by Bill Friedman, have been adapted by social media to create addictive, maze-like experiences that trap users.
Social media feeds resist forming coherent narratives, making time feel disjointed and memories fleeting.
The constant interruptions from social media notifications create anxiety and stress, fragmenting attention between the real and virtual worlds.
Excessive screen time is linked to accelerated biological aging and disrupted sleep cycles, affecting overall health.
To reclaim time, it's suggested to engage in novel, intentional, and emotionally rich experiences that form lasting memories.
Memento mori, or reminders of mortality, can help maintain awareness of time's value and encourage more meaningful living.
The article critiques Substack Notes for mimicking the distracting nature of platforms like TikTok and Facebook, hindering discovery of quality content.

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