16game of ‘likes’. Today, there are 3.
billion social media users, up 9 per
cent from the previous year, with
most people spending at least two
hours a day on it. Psychologists call
it ‘social proof ’ when we do things
because everyone else is doing it.
If 3.48 billion people started eating
ice cream for breakfast, and endless-
ly talked about it, then chances are
you’d start eating ice cream as well.
If you’ve watched a team of ducks in
a pond, you’ll see a similar scenar-
io - one moves north and the others
swivel in unison.
Social proof can be a great thing
when the herd has got it right. The
habit of brushing teeth is a great
one - it starts early in life, and do-
ing it daily means your teeth don’t
decay and eventually fall out. The
fact that everyone in your family
brushes their teeth helps to cement
this habit - thank goodness for so-
cial proof and herd behaviour, you
could say. But social proof can be
less beneficial when it pushes you
into actions that steal your time, or
make you sad, angry, jealous of oth-
ers, or even depressed.
You see it on buses. One person
pulls out their phone and then ev-
eryone’s into it. The ducks are pad-
dling north at full pelt. The bus isfull of people checking their social
media accounts, mindlessly scroll-
ing, lulled into that ‘ludic loop’,
as psychologists like to call it. But
when everyone is using it, it feels
right - it feels normal, it almost feels
like the ‘proper’ thing to do. When
behaviour has become ‘normalised’
then it no longer feels odd... it’s why
drug addicts almost always use with-
in a group.
The social media phenomenon
has altered human discourse in pro-
found ways. Whereas pre-internet
it was vulgar to brag about one’s ac-
complishments, today 3.48 billion
users are compelled to ‘shout out’
on social media, with the biggest
braggers shouting the loudest. And
as the race for ‘likes’ gets ever more
extreme, companies and individuals
are pulling out all stops - professional
photographers, hair and makeup art-
ists, the setting up and dismantling
of pseudo-events for photo shoots,
all in a hard day’s labour for social
media campaigns. And then there’s
the ‘influencer’ who has turned so-
cial media into a professional sport- the human-turned advertiser who
on-sells their ‘likes’ for money. Here
is Sally, the ‘influencer’ in Peru with
her partner-in-crime husband, Josh.
Sally is wearing a frock from this
THE ETHICS OF USING
TIME WISELY
IDEAS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE 16 NewsT
here are merits in living a
contrarian life. Much like
those contrarian inves-
tors you read about who
buy shares when everyone else is
piling out: they’re deliberately and
systematically doing the opposite
to what everyone else is doing. The
crowds are buying, so they sell. And
when everyone is running for the ex-
its, they’re buying on the cheap. It’s
a tough ride for contrarians, though.
It’s much easier to push along with
the crowd - buoyed by numbers,
calmed by the certitude that you’re
doing the right thing. You’ve got the
numbers, right?
Social media is a numbers game
too, a worldwide stampede into theSocial proof can be
less beneficial when it
pushes you into actions
that steal your time, or
make you sad, angry,
jealous of others, or
even depressed.BY ANTONIA CASEgameof‘likes’.Today,there are 3.
billion socialmediausers, up 9 per
cent from the previous year, with
most people spending at least two
hoursa dayonit.Psychologists call
it ‘socialproof ’whenwe do things
because everyone else is doing it.
If 3.48billionpeoplestarted eating
icecreamforbreakfast,and endless-
lytalkedaboutit,thenchances are
you’dstarteatingicecream as well.
If you’vewatcheda team of ducks in
a pond, you’llsee a similar scenar-
io- onemovesnorthand the others
swivelinunison.
Socialproofcanbea great thing
whentheherdhasgotit right. The
habit of brushing teeth is a great
one- it startsearlyinlife, and do-
ingit dailymeansyourteeth don’t
decayandeventuallyfall out. The
fact that everyone in your family
brushestheirteethhelps to cement
thishabit- thankgoodness for so-
cialproof andherdbehaviour, you
could say.But social proof can be
less beneficial whenit pushes you
intoactionsthatstealyour time, or
makeyousad,angry,jealous of oth-
ers,orevendepressed.
Youseeit onbuses.One person
pullsouttheirphoneand then ev-
eryone’sintoit.Theducks are pad-
dling northatfull pelt. The bus isfull of people checking their social
media accounts, mindlessly scroll-
ing, lulled into that ‘ludic loop’,
as psychologists like to call it. But
when everyone is using it, it feels
right - it feels normal, it almost feels
like the ‘proper’ thing to do. When
behaviour has become ‘normalised’
then it no longer feels odd... it’s why
drug addicts almost always use with-
in a group.
The social media phenomenon
has altered human discourse in pro-
found ways. Whereas pre-internet
it was vulgar to brag about one’s ac-
complishments, today 3.48 billion
users are compelled to ‘shout out’
on social media, with the biggest
braggers shouting the loudest. And
as the race for ‘likes’ gets ever more
extreme, companies and individuals
are pulling out all stops - professional
photographers, hair and makeup art-
ists, the setting up and dismantling
of pseudo-events for photo shoots,
all in a hard day’s labour for social
media campaigns. And then there’s
the ‘influencer’ who has turned so-
cial media into a professional sport- the human-turned advertiser who
on-sells their ‘likes’ for money. Here
is Sally, the ‘influencer’ in Peru with
her partner-in-crime husband, Josh.
Sally is wearing a frock from this
THE ETHICS OF USING
TIME WISELY
IDEAS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE 16 NewsT
here are merits in living a
contrarian life. Much like
those contrarian inves-
tors you read about who
buy shares when everyone else is
piling out: they’re deliberately and
systematically doing the opposite
to what everyone else is doing. The
crowds are buying, so they sell. And
when everyone is running for the ex-
its, they’re buying on the cheap. It’s
a tough ride for contrarians, though.
It’s much easier to push along with
the crowd - buoyed by numbers,
calmed by the certitude that you’re
doing the right thing. You’ve got the
numbers, right?
Social media is a numbers game
too, a worldwide stampede into theSocial proof can be
less beneficial when it
pushes you into actions
that steal your time, or
make you sad, angry,
jealous of others, or
even depressed.
BY ANTONIA CASE