3 ways social media destroys our relationships

The social media they are a reality and have changed the way we communicate with each other. Not only do we pay great attention to our presence in these networks, but we also delegate to them the communication channel with friends that we do not see often.

Social media has also changed the travel experience. It's no longer just about the budding (and annoying) presence of selfie sticks alone. The experience of traveling, always associated with seeing monuments, cultures and cities with our own eyes seems to be obsolete: now many tourists are limited to seeing reality through smartphone screens. Immortalizing the moment through a gadget seems to be more important than discovering it yourself, with the senses that Mother Nature has endowed us with. They are travel 2.0., And I'm not talking about strolling down Google Street.

Life behind a screen

It is a real shame and many psychologists warn that living life through constant exposure to social networks can cause quite a few problems when it comes to the way we interact with others people. And not only because of the obvious difficulty of establishing conversations and "friendships" through the networks, but also

also due to the self-esteem problems associated with this dependence on the mobile. Dependency that, by the way, receives the name of nomophobia.

We spend more time thinking about how other people perceive us than living our own adventures and experiences. We are pending throughout the day to check if we have new notifications on social networks, instead of carry out activities that we like and that allow us to meet other people with whom to perform in life real. We need to feel connected with other people, because it is one of the necessary elements to feel happy, be healthy and live longer, but… are we doing it right?

The 3 ways social media destroys our relationships

We have to regain the ability to relate without the need to have a screen in between. Social networks can help us keep in touch with friends who live far away, but it should only be that: support.

Let's check some ways that new technologies and social media can reduce the quality of our personal relationships in real life... and some tips to improve the situation.

1. Do you feel like you are missing something? The FOMO syndrome

What is it that really attracts us about social networks? Share moments. In the form of photography, video, status, joke... but share moments with others. But although this sounds very nice, the truth is that many people live so aware of social networks that they end up missing those unique moments, in the desire to take a photo or explain it to their contacts.

We are denying ourselves the possibility of experiencing happiness and special moments just because of the narcissistic need to show the public how happy we are. or the interesting life we ​​have. In addition, we live subject to positive reinforcement, in the form of likes and comments, which exacerbates the problem.

This is one of the problems, but it is not the only one. In fact, people are already beginning to talk about the existence of the FOMO syndrome, whose sufferers have the bad feeling of being "missing something." It is a situation of permanent anguish, which does not allow us to enjoy the day to day and personal relationships in the flesh.

More on FOMO syndrome: "FOMO syndrome: feeling that the lives of others are more interesting"

2. Addiction and self-absorption: Nomophobia

There is a fine line that separates pleasure from addictive behavior. When we start using social media, unconsciously, we may use as a way to obtain validation from our contacts, and this can make us enter a negative dynamic.

The brain regions that regulate the sensation of pleasure positively reward us in the face of novelty, and it goes without saying that social networks we are bombarded with thousands of current news: new posts, new images, new news, every second that happens.

It is ironic that a tool that has been designed to connect with other people makes us feel isolated and obsessed for the image we are offering. Social media addiction also comes hand in hand with anxiety and, in severe cases, of depressive pictures.

When we spend a few days on vacation at the beach, our main motivation should be to enjoy those moments of relaxation, and not be aware of the source of pleasure generated by social networks through the photos and comments that we go posting.

3. Social networks and happy social relationships: can they coexist?

Recent research showed that the mere presence of a smartphone in the context of a conversation between two people (face to face) interferes with the feeling of intimacy, connection and the quality of communication. Almost nothing.

We are social beings and we need to be in contact with other people. When we interact with someone in real life, we understand her emotions and feelings and exchange other information beyond what is strictly verbal. If the technological gadgets get our conversations, we are likely to become desensitized and our ability to empathize with other people, little by little, diminishes, and thus our ability to genuinely connect with others. Although social networks were designed to connect us with each other, they may be taking us away from perceiving needs and thoughts of the people close to us, and this endangers the quality of communication and, ultimately, of social relationships and relatives.

Social media and happiness

Actually, we should try to make a very simple reflection: does being permanently connected to social networks make us live magical moments? Your answer will probably be negative. You have to learn to live in the moment without the intermediation of public exposure. Let's not make our life a kind of Truman show.