– I don’t have it in me. I can’t go back to social media again.
In 2012, Martin Simenrud was inspired by a “cool guy” who dropped Facebook when social media made its way into society.
The 26-year-old states that the election has made him a bit “old”, but says he was worst at the start.
– Initially in this process, I was a bit more old-fashioned. I could get a little annoyed and pissed off when I saw people spending a lot of time on the phone.
Then irritation turned to astonishment.
HABITS: Martin Simenrud could get a little annoyed and pissed off by observing people’s phone habits. Photo: Private
He marveled at people’s willingness to be on the phone. When he took the metro in Amsterdam, where he lives, a few weeks ago, he had an epiphany.
– To the left I saw 100-200 people sitting with their backs against the wall, to the right as well, and everyone looked down at the phone!
The astonishment eventually turned into a realization:
– Now this is what is “quote on quote” the civilized world, says Simenrud.
But the 26-year-old is not giving in to being “civilized” for that reason.
Social aspects die
– I found that none of the platforms gave me anything in particular. I felt better without it. The phone sought me out. Now I’m the one who looks for the phone. The phone doesn’t force me to look at it anymore, he explains.
– At the start I felt I was on the outside and was weird. Something I thought was strange, he says.
– What is it like to be outside?
– All the small social aspects, it dies. Because you are no longer visible in other people’s digital world.
That’s why you just have to read this case NOW
You also lose insight into other people’s digital lives.
In addition, friends and family must be instructed that contact must take place by text or call.
A life without social media in 2023 has its price.
– You have a number of relative acquaintances who disappear because of it. If you enjoy many small digital social moments, they will also disappear, he explains.
– Are you able to be social then?
– I am social without a doubt. I am much more social now than before. I actually have to go out to meet them. It is an advantage to be outside, because you are much more present when you are first with friends. It will be quality, and you will not be disturbed by having to check the phone, says Simenrud.
– I don’t feel isolated or outside at all.
The brain’s screensaver
But how important is social media to us humans?
Behavioral biologist Jens Andreas Huseby explains:
– If you take a person, put them in an MRI machine and make them listen to music or solve a math puzzle, you will see that different parts of the brain are activated.
THE BRAIN: Behavioral biologist Jens Andreas Huseby thinks one part of the brain in particular is “damn interesting”. Photo: Private
While another part of the brain lights up when it is not actively used. This part is called the brain’s default mode, or “Default Mode Network”.
The brain’s default mode is a kind of screensaver for the brain, says the biologist.
And it is precisely this part that he finds “damn interesting”.
Because the “screensaver” also lights up when you ask people to think about social relationships, but also social media.
But this is where it gets tricky.
Clear connection
Our brain wants to think about social relationships all the time, but with social media there are too many people to think about.
– Today we relate to the whole world, and that is the big problem! says Huseby.
– You see far too many people, and they interrupt you in ways that people you are with physically would never think of doing.
Today, there is broad agreement among behavioral experts that social media has led to increased depression among young adults.
SCREEN USE: Even if we are with others, we often end up sitting with our mobiles. Photo: Anna Walderhaug / TV 2
Huseby says that one digital event in particular led to a sharp jump in the depression figures, namely when social media introduced the “like and share” function.
– Figures from the USA show that girls in particular are hit hard, there things have gone completely wrong. While the boys are apparently much less exposed.
The research that has been done so far has only considered cases in the United States. But the apps are used all over the world, including in Norway. The behavioral biologist does not rule out that there may be similar cases in Norway.
– I don’t know if you have seen the same thing here. But we use the same apps and programs, so it’s not inconceivable.
Isolating and authoritarian
But social media isn’t just crap; from a logical perspective, both behavioral biologists Jens Andreas Huseby and Martin Simenrud see that the apps are both useful and good.
– I think you have to find a balance. It is difficult to live without a social network at all, says the behavioral biologist:
– Social media has, among other things, become an important platform for arranging and organizing social gatherings. If you are not present, you will miss it, then.
From the Netherlands, Simenrud has caught up with the discussion about whether there should be an age limit on social media.
– It must feel absolutely terrible to cut social media for the younger ones. When it is so integrated, it appears incredibly isolating and authoritarian.
