This is concerning enough. But recent events surrounding Facebook has take this to a whole new level.

Add (Russian) Trolls

We've had to deal with trolls long enough on social media. But did you notice how ugly Facebook got during and since the election? Yes, a lot of this is due to human nature and President Trump shoulders much of this responsibility. Yet, there are organizations out there that actually want to divide us using our beloved Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg recently acknowledged and apologized for organizations like The Internet Research Agency, Russia’s premier “troll farm,” that has reportedly experimented with posts and events to get us all riled up about issues like immigration, terrorism, and LGBTQ rights.

All this "Fake News" became a problem and influenced our collective thinking. Zuckerberg was warned by former President Obama and at first the founder of Facebook said the notion was "crazy." But it's not hard to see that this just added to the problem of the impact social media is having in our lives. You yourself may have not participated, but when your feeds are filled with vitriol and outrage culture, eventually it takes an emotional toll.

The Solution?

There is no simple solution here. To cut yourself off from social media is not so easy. A lot of social media is very useful. But how do you stop the endless scroll addiction and manage the impact it could be having?

Try this.

Delete social media off your phone. Only use it at your desk. See what happens. Luckily Facebook Messenger is a separate app. And besides, if people want to get a hold of you, they can learn to text or call. On top of which, don't go to bed with your phone. Use an alarm clock if you need help getting up in the morning.

A recent article in Wired Magazine recommended the same thing.

Let me know how it goes!