Mumtaz Saley | mumtazs@icloud.com
19 July 2023 | 13:30 CAT
1 min read

Photo Credit: Eduindex News

Our cell phones have become an appendage to our bodies. We won’t dare leave them at home; we use them for everything from scheduling to keeping in touch online. But this appendage comes at a high price.

With 4.8 billion social media users worldwide as of this year, social media has become a mainstay amongst the middle-aged to younger generations. Recent studies done in 2023 reports suggest that the average usage time of social media is at least two and a half hours a day.

As we become increasingly addicted to social media, it can be challenging to balance ourselves and our social media profiles, so much so that we enjoy social media interaction more than the interaction with people around us, causing extreme habits and addiction.

Like most things in life, there are always benefits and consequences when abused.

In almost every home right now, there is one family member who is spending an unhealthy amount of time on social media and the cost of a good family life; children are seen and not heard as they bury themselves in devices all day long to the point where all they work for is the next access to their devices. 

The key is to find a balance as parents first and lead by example; you can’t have a no-phone rule at the dinner table, but at the same time, make sure your phone is visible in case someone calls. We need to start as parents to break unhealthy habits. 

Research suggests that most people who have been offline for more than 24 hours show extreme signs of depression, anxiety and needing to know what is happening constantly. We are a generation of FOMO – the fear of missing out. 

So what is the cost of social media to you?