thing… A study carried out by the University of Maryland asked students not to use SM for 24 hours. Their findings were not really surprising, students felt disconnected from the world without their primary source for news (the fact Facebook is used for news is a worry in itself but I digress!), but more worryingly, reported feelings included “frantically craving, very anxious, extremely antsy, jittery and crazy”.
Stewardess Jen told us, “I have actually experienced anxiety when I’ve opened my Instagram to see I haven’t got as many likes as I was hoping for. Even though I tell myself it’s ridiculous, my self esteem genuinely suffers and it affects my moods.”
And then there’s the whole selfie taking. How many crew are guilty of uploading selfies on a daily basis? And how long does it take to get that perfect photo… Tarryn said, “I’ve seen a stew do this while we had guests on board, even asking a guest to take the photo for her.” I’m sure that ended well… If you take at least 3 selfies a day for your SM accounts, you probably have what’s been recognised as ‘selifitis’.
Typically, those with the condition suffer from a lack of self-confidence and are seeking to ‘fit in’ with those around them.
Researcher Dr. Janarthanan Balakrishnan said, “Typically, those with the condition suffer from a lack of self-confidence and are seeking to ‘fit in’ with those around them, and may display symptoms similar to other potentially addictive behaviours…Now the existence of the condition appears to have been confirmed, it is hoped that further research will be carried out to understand more about how and why people develop this potentially obsessive behaviour, and what can be done to help people who are the most affected.”
And there I was just thinking people were vain. Instagram is definitely more popular for selfies – I actually carried out a recent experiment to see how my SM audiences differed. I uploaded a bikini selfie to both
Facebook and Instagram. My Facebook friends mostly ignored my narcissim whereas my insta blew up with likes. And I hate to say it but… that felt… good. Ugh I feel so grubby.
How do you know if you’re addicted to SM? Well ask yourself this – do you think that SM is preventing you from doing your best work or reaching your potential? If you think it might be… well it’s time to break the habit.
I have actually experienced anxiety when I’ve opened my Instagram to see I haven’t got as many likes as I was hoping for. Even though I tell myself it’s ridiculous, my self esteem genuinely suffers and it affects my moods.
Firstly, figure out why you’re addicted. Are you bored? Stressed? Feeling disconnected? Once you know the trigger you can start to make changes to whatever is causing you to head to SM for validation.
Secondly make it harder for you to check your feeds. Schedule your SM time – leave your phone in your cabin, put it on do not disturb, or switch the internet off until a designated time slot and stick to it.
Next you need to replace your SM time with something more worthwhile. Ok, it might be a case of actually doing your job… but if we’re talking about your downtime, you need to get more hobbies! If you can, get outside. If you’re cabin bound try a meditation, a breathing exercise, yoga – or how about we go old school and play a boardgame with a crew mate? Cards? You need to retrain your brain into heading for an activity rather than reaching for your phone when you’re feeling bored/stressed.
Do it with a friend if you can, who’s happy to pull you up if you feel weak. If you can’t confide in anyone then use an app like Google’s ‘accountability’! There really is an app for everything. I know that because I saw it on Facebook… (joking).
And finally – reward yourself! If you want to, reward your day of avoiding SM by allowing yourself an hour of it, or maybe not – maybe completely ignore it and buy yourself a treat instead.
Overall, stay positive, don’t get sucked into the negativity that SM can nurture – there’s a big wide world out there and remember why you joined yachting. It was to see the world, not sit in a dark cabin comparing your life on SM to everyone else’s. And believe me, the lives we all portray on SM are simply not all that real are they?
SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION STATISTICS OF 2019
3.48 billion
people use social media. That’s roughly 45% of the world’s population
143
The number of minutes people spend on average on social networking and messaging per day
210 million people are estimated to
suffer from internet and social media addictions
71%
of people sleep with or next to their phone every night
50% of people caught driving
while using their phone are checking social media
44 | WINTER 2020 | ONBOARD
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