Fitting In
I have been inactive on social media for some time now. I do not find it fascinating or useful anymore. One of the reasons this blog has started becoming more active is my distaste for social media.
I had my reasons for being passive on social media. But I was curious about why social media makes people do things they generally would not.
During the prehistoric life of humans, being a part of the community was important. In the harsher living conditions, it was safer to be part of a group. Surviving alone was a dangerous and risky endeavour.
Being cast out from a group could mean trouble.
It meant one had to fit into the common traits of the group. This led to accepting things that the group thought were right.
In modern times, social validation plays the role that survival played back then. We are not in immediate danger of being eaten up by a predator, but we still have the instinct to be a part of the herd. To align with the socio-cultural norms of the group we admire.
The primal instincts are still strong and social media companies know how to exploit it.
Don't take social media seriously. Everyone's trying to fit in.
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