I don't think we're meant to look at our phones this much.
Although the brain is capable of processing information at an incredible speed, we just don't gain anything by scrolling down the endless feeds on our screens. Consuming hundreds of different messages from hundreds different scenes with hundreds different people. Most often from people we don't know, let alone know if they are even real.
Several studies have proven the negative effects it has on our brains; everything from worse sleep quality, lack of focus and even an increased risk of depression. Yet, we continue to feed our addictions with social media apps. Instagram, facebook, youtube, X, tiktok - name your social media choice and chances are the algorithms are made to keep you in the loop.
Most people are already aware of the negative effects they inflict on themselves, yet very few delete their accounts and choose to be free from it. Some might download another app to restrict their usage with timers and locks in hopes that it will reduce their screen time. However, these apps rarely seem to work in the long-run and very quickly they are back to the same habits again.
So why is it that we don't do the right thing? We know the harm the apps have, yet we insist on allowing it to hurt us?
I think the answer lies in that our friends are still on the apps, and we don't want to leave them. Because our friends were the reason we got on the apps in the first place. Remember how someone showed them their instagram the first time? Or, if you are old enough, how someone asked you if you were on Facebook? This was the reason social media was made for - to connect. Allowing us to stay in touch although we might be far from each other or to share things among groups of people as opposed to just one by one.
Yet, somewhere along the way, the apps lost their core value. Instead of using them to connect with people we know and love, we use them to endlessly scroll through content of people we don't know. Sure, you might share a reel with a friend once in a while, but how does that really connect you to your friend other than sharing a laugh or staying updated on similar interests? For many of us, we don't even post on our social media accounts any more - so how do we keep up with how our friends are doing? Where are they? What's on their mind?
This was one of the reasons why I started Capsule together with Elmo. Introducing a way for us to give brief hints into our lives which we can share with our friends. And unlike other social media platforms, Capsule doesn't have any feeds or public profiles. You simply add your friends (maximum 10) and start sharing.
Every Sunday, I sit down, think about my past week and write down what has happened. Could be about anything. Something I thought of, something I did or maybe a song I listened to? And when my friends read it, they seem to love it. They get a glimpse into my life and the next time we meet, they are not clueless to how I have been. Instead, they know if I have been going through stuff or what weekend trips I have been to. And wasn't that the whole reason why we started using social media in the first place?
Written by
Mikael