“It seems we really can only handle about 150 friends, including family members,” says R.I.M.
That even means that the late-night hours spent engaging in conversations with strangers online takes away from the energy we have to care for people we actually know offline. There’s a limit as to how many people we’re truly in touch with and have the energy for.
While our brains can tell the difference between chatting online and in-person social interaction, it’s unlikely we’ve developed more - or a separate set of - energy just for social media use. There’s a capacity for friendships, even online
FEEL SO CLOSE YET SO FAR REACHING OUT TOWARDS THE STARS OFFLINE
What if every like, heart, and reply we give to someone on the internet is actually taking away from our energy for offline friendships? Maybe, as we tell ourselves that we’re online to stay connected, we’re unknowingly draining our social energy for in-person interactions. Being unrested can explain the grogginess and irritability one has. Maybe the blue light that illuminates our faces as we scroll through feeds and friends’ profiles is to blame for disrupting our sleep cycle. The next morning, I wake up feeling drained. I’ll comment on a friend’s post and then Facebook suggests friending a former classmate, but instead of doing that, I’ll scroll through their profile and learn about the last few years of their life… until I see an article that sends me down a research spiral and a comment section that leaves my brain on hyperdrive. You know the scenario.įor me, it’s a Tuesday night, and I’m unwinding in bed, mindlessly scrolling “just a little,” when half an hour later, I’m no closer to resting. Nobody is a stranger to deep diving into the Facebook rabbit hole. Share on Pinterest Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images
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