As a small business owner, your personal relationships deeply impact your professional success and personal wellbeing. In the modern digital era, one factor enormously affecting relationships is social media. While social media allows us to connect globally, it sadly disconnects us from our loved ones.
Social Media Addiction is Increasingly Common
Research shows social media activates the same dopamine pathways in the brain as drug use. With clever designs keeping us returning for more likes and comments, platforms are intentionally addictive. Rates of social media addiction have tripled since 2012, now affecting over 10% of the population.
I‘ve witnessed many entrepreneurs neglecting their relationships as social media consumes their attention. A recent study found heavy social media users check their feeds up to 74 times a day. This distraction damages intimacy. As a business owner, I ensure I still devote quality time to my personal relationships by having tech-free meals, outings, and conversations.
Social Media Use Correlates to Worsened Mental Health
Studies demonstrate a significant link between social media usage and declines in mental health, especially among teenagers. But adults are also vulnerable.
- Seeing carefully curated realities leads to feeling like your own life is inferior.
- Exposure to excessive negativity online increases anxiety and depression.
- FOMO (fear of missing out) from endless scrolling causes stress.
I‘ve supported executives suffering from deteriorating mental health exacerbated by social media. The constant comparison leads them to feel inadequate despite successful careers. I advise significant limits on social media to prevent these impacts.
Infidelity is Increasingly Initiated Online
The secrecy and convenience of messaging via social platforms enables emotional and physical affairs. Over 80% of divorce lawyers have cited social media as a contributing factor to marital dissolutions they‘ve handled.
Common pathways to online cheating include:
- Reconnecting to past flames
- Private messaging colleagues, friends, acquaintances
- Encounters via dating apps
I advise setting boundaries regarding online interactions to prevent devastating infidelity destroyed by social media‘s temptation.
Protect Your Relationships from Social Media‘s Harms
To enjoy healthy relationships despite social media‘s risks, I suggest:
- Having tech-free bonding sessions with significant others
- Discussing appropriate online boundaries for your relationship
- Limiting use through apps like Freedom or Screen Time
- Reminding yourself that portrayals are fake perfection
The connections social media provides can be alluring but devastating for relationships. Prioritize the people physically present in your life over those online. Your professional success and personal happiness depend deeply on healthy relationships. Protect them from social media‘s increasing harms.
