From the dangers of mental health and brain function, to sacrificing social interaction and being unproductive in the workplace, there are many reasons why Katherine Ormerod went bold with the title of her new book, Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Life.
Ormerod, a British fashion journalist and social media expert, has spent time peeling away the layers of the social media world and how it is potentially damaging women's mental health. The former Sunday Times Style writer says we no longer have a separation between "normal people" and "celebrities". Rather than a comparison with a catwalk model or a Hollywood star, we are comparing ourselves to the girl next door, which Ormerod says, "feels far more relevant and the standards portrayed far more attainable than in traditional media", but which in turn has a deeper, more damaging effect on your mental health.
After speaking to international influencers, psychologists, therapists, academics and plastic surgeons, Ormerod, who will present her book at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, wanted to unravel the effects of social media on the lives of women; on identity, motherhood, body perceptions, politics, health, relationships and careers.
The harmful effects of social media
Simply put, people spend too much time on social media, to the detriment of face-to-face interactions and downtime from mental stimulation.
"There's little doubt that our hyper connectivity and screen segueing is having a major impact on our ability to be productive and is actually seemingly rewiring our brains," she says. "With four out of five employees accessing their private social media accounts during work time and spending on average two hours a day on these platforms, productivity is depleting by an estimated 13 per cent."
Although as many as 34 per cent of people say social media offers a "mental break" from work, this is having major mental health implications and serious impacts on brain function and hormonal health.
"The problem is that our brains are far less capable of multitasking, meaning overall, our production is being seriously depleted," she says.
The studies
In 2017, the Bank of England reported that it takes office workers an average of 25 minutes to get back on task after an interruption, while workers who are habitually interrupted by email or social media are likelier to "self-interrupt" with procrastination breaks, as their brain function is simply unable to manage longer spans of concentration.
The problem is that our brains are far less capable of multitasking, meaning overall, our production is being seriously depleted.
Several studies, including one by Stanford University, found social media may have actually rerouted the brain's ability to multitask. The research showed that those who often used social media were more susceptible to interference from irrelevant environmental stimuli.
Ormerod says that, as consumers, we must be more conscious about the nature of the social media content we choose to view, in the same way we have learnt to question mainstream advertising and media. We also need to pay closer attention to the time we spend on it, and perhaps monitor that with the wealth of apps and in-phone tools now available.
A recent study by Global Web Index found that on average, people aged 16 to 24 spend three hours a day on social media platforms, while those aged 25 to 34 spend two hours and 37 minutes and 35 to 44-year-olds spend two hours and four minutes.
It's not all bad
Regardless, Ormerod says people of all ages are equally susceptible to the pitfalls of social media's influence on mental health, as everyone goes through challenges of one sort or another during their lives, from financial to emotional problems. "Young people who have little life experience are the first concern, but I've been vulnerable at different times – like when my husband left me and I was going through a divorce, or when I was a new mum," she says.
However, it's important to note that social media isn't all negative. Although we may have fewer real life connections, for many it has created different types of communities. Ormerod has seen this among health-related support groups, which she says can be "life-changing, once again proving that it's not the technology itself that is inherently nefarious, but the ways in which we, as the humans at the controls, use it".
And her takeaways from the research are simple: buy an alarm clock, don't take your phone into the bedroom, curate a fulfilling and inspiring feed on the platforms you utilise, and spend less time on social media and more time connecting with real people around you.
"The less time you spend on social media, the better you feel – that is a now pretty much incontestable conclusion from the vast research," Ormerod says. "I see it very much as you are what you eat – a hamburger is fine from time to time, but if you're eating McDonalds every night, you're not going to feel great."
Ormerod speaks at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
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- Price: Not announced yet
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
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Director: Chris Winterbauer
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Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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Sand storm
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- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
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- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
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- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
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- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
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- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
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- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
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