I was impressed recently with a TikTok marketing campaign run by a small food business in Preston, UK, called Spud Brothers.
The owners have created a series of short, quirky videos that promote their business very effectively by showing how they prepare the food and how they interact with their customers. These videos have gone viral having been viewed millions of times. Consequently, the business now has over 600,000 followers online and regularly has queues of people waiting to sample the food and be part of a TikTok success story.
What this illustrates is how social media can be used very well to promote your organisation.
However, there is a flip side to social media that is discussed at length by social psychologist and author, Jonathan Haidt in his new book, The Anxious Generation. The issues he raises I believe can have a significant negative impact.
In a nutshell, he discusses the mental health problems that have risen substantially due to what he argues is the overuse of social media, facilitated by easy access to smartphones. A problem that is acute in Generation Z but can affect anyone of any age group.
He identifies several key problems below:
Lack of face-to-face social skills
Literally, many people have become addicted to their phone as if it were a physical part of them. A positive aspect of this is that we have become technologically skilled and can communicate with many people simultaneously online on messenger applications and social media, sharing news, and ideas on a regular basis, at any time of the day.
But a dark side to this is what Haidt describes as the “great rewiring”, whereby extended and sustained access to social media via our smartphones has changed our brain architecture. According to Haidt, this has had negative consequences to our happiness and the manner in which we interact with the world around us.
This was illustrated by a recent visit by your author to a barber’s shop to get my hair cut. As I entered, I saw ten men, some young, some middle aged, all glued to their smartphone, with no effort being made to socialise with those sitting next to them. When they were called up to have their hair cut, they were still fixated to their phone, and seemed to struggle to converse, as if they were counting out time to the moment where they could re-enter cyberspace. It was as if they were physically present – but, disembodied cognitively.
My immediate reaction was: how do they communicate in their workplaces with those sitting around them? Or do they work from home, which means that perhaps face-to-face communication has become less important? Do they have the ability to engage with strangers and establish rapport which is such an important skill in organisational life?
Defensiveness vis-à-vis curiosity and exploration
Haidt talks about the impact of social media activity on our ability to empathise and understand others’ points of view. Social media is awash with forums and groups that include people with similar political and social views that have become echo chambers. Contrarian views in these online groups can often result in ridicule, trolling, and banishment.
Haidt argues that this has created a defensive mind set, particularly in Generation Z, whereby views that are considered unacceptable are often shut down, without the other party being given an opportunity to debate and discuss their ideas. This defensiveness is at odds with an open mindset that is more curious and interested in what other people have to say, and to explore why others hold different views and ideas.
Of course, it should be noted that some comments and ideas which are racist and misogynistic and violent, for example, are unacceptable and must be tackled and shut down immediately.
But I wonder what such a defensive mindset in response to opposing or different views, is having on an organisation’s ability to innovate, if employees are perhaps becoming more sensitive and defensive to those that they disagree with.
Comparison with others
Haidt argues that one of the key drivers of mental health problems involves social media users comparing themselves with others. This can result in reduced self-esteem and confidence if the person with whom they are comparing themselves with is perceived to be more successful.
He highlights examples of social media users humble bragging about their achievements (many of which I suspect are exaggerated), and influencers who photograph themselves attending seemingly important social functions.
It seems to me that social media is both causing, and exacerbating existing, low levels of self-esteem, and increasing reports of anxiety, depression, and poor mental health. Haidt provides examples whereby young people who stop using social media, report improved mental health and happiness.
I wonder what these increased reports of poor mental health ostensibly due to sustained social media usage is having on your organisation’s employees.
To conclude, social media can be a wonderful tool to promote one’s business and increase sales and performance, as evidenced by the fantastic Spud Brothers. But, as Jonathan Haidt has outlined, there is a threat that using social media too much can affect our ability to be happy and to interact healthily with others and the world around us. These are key concerns with regards to the health and wellbeing of your employees.
The key takeaways are:
Be considerate of the impact of social media use on your employees’ health and wellbeing and their ability to interact effectively face-to-face.
Be aware that social media echo chambers may stifle open discussion and reduce resilience to engaging with opposing viewpoints.
Be mindful of the content of your social media strategy so that it has a positive message and not one that invites hurtful comparisons.