In the last decade, social media has become a dominant force in society. Initially, companies like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter promoted this transformation as positive, connecting people globally like never before. Twitter asked, “What’s Happening?” while Instagram encouraged users to “Capture and Share the World’s Moments” and Facebook claimed to help users connect and share with others.
However, as Charlie Munger once said, “Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome.” The seemingly positive intentions of social media platforms masked a distorted incentive structure that began to have profound effects on the psychological well-being of millions of users. This shift in focus led to a multitude of darker realities, such as shortened attention spans, the polarization of political discourse, and a rise in feelings of loneliness and anxiety among individuals.
As social media continued to entrench itself in our daily lives, it also created a breeding ground for online harms that spilled over into real-world consequences, sometimes resulting in tragic and even fatal outcomes. This shift in society has forced us to confront the negative impact of social media on our mental health and interpersonal relationships, requiring us to reassess our relationship with these platforms and the role they play in our lives.