Alright, you’ve read this blog before, right? So, what do I hate more than almost anything else, despite the fact that I just can’t stop checking it? Yes, social media. I’ve written over and over and over about how evil it is and how much harm it can cause and blah, blah, blah…
(Okay, yes, I know it isn’t necessarily THAT bad, and that it does have many positive benefits, but people should use it with caution)
Anyway, I had an interesting conversation the other day about how terrible things are in the world and how all it seems like you hear is bad news. My friend and I were discussing this, and he specifically mentioned the Availability Heuristic.
For those of you who didn’t take Psych 101, in the most simple terms possible, the Availability Heuristic is the notion that what you see is what you get. Your mind, when thinking of things, thinks of the loudest or most recent things that it sees.
And this, in turn, can really lead to depression. Particularly in a social media-heavy world.
Think about it: You sign onto social media, and what do you see? TRUMP SETS THINGS ON FIRE! DEMOCRATS SET BABIES ON FIRE!
I mean, I’m kidding…a little. But as you scroll, you get more and more depressed. We’re exposed to a good chunk of statistics and information that other generations couldn’t even fathom. This can warp our perception of the world and alter our moods and feelings.
Given the reality of the Availability Heuristic, I am convinced that this is part of why we have so much trouble in the universe today. We see and think of things that are only immediately available and memorable. And that’s the bad news.
I mention this because I think this is an interesting way of framing the conversation of social media. There’s a set, cognitive bias for why we think and feel the way we do, and the better we understand this, the more sense all of our minds will make. Remember, it’s not just you. Cognitive biases like these exist to poke us in the head and make us see things a certain way. They have their evolutionary benefits to be sure, but sometimes, they can run amok.
So, short of throwing your phone out the window, what can you do if you do find yourself getting depressed by the evening news and your Twitter feed? Remind yourself of this fundamental truth: The bad news is sticking in your brain more than the good. This is normal – even healthy to an extent – but it isn’t as bad as it seems.
Mike Schlossberg - Author 