We all know that social media has its drawbacks.

But how severe are these issues, and how many traps are you caught in?

1. The trap of "infinity pools."

2. The trap of comparison.

3. The trap of easy dopamine.

The trap of “infinity pools.”

"Infinity pools," a concept from the book Make Time, describes today's platforms with their endless feeds and bottomless content to consume.

You can keep refreshing your YouTube homepage for new recommendations, and there's no end to scrolling on TikTok.

What starts as a quick check can turn into hours of mindless consumption as there's always "just one more" post or video to see.

Because our brains are biased towards novel content, it's difficult to step away even when we know we should be doing something else.

Therefore, this drains not only your time but also your mental energy as you struggle to break free from these distractions.

Your time and energy are finite.

Spend them well.

The trap of comparison.

"The grass always seems greener on the other side."

Social media amplifies this feeling as we constantly see people living what appears to be a "better" life, making us question our own choices and path.

Ironically, even when living a comfortable life overall, we might become jealous of one specific aspect we see in someone else's life—not realizing that's possibly all they have to show.

Social media is filtered and never shows the complete picture.

What we desire in others' lives, they might equally desire in ours.

It's an endless cycle of shifting expectations that changes wherever we progress in life.

Be grateful for what you have and run your own race.

The trap of easy dopamine.

Watching a 20-second life hack creates an illusion of learning something meaningful.

Creating a post rewards you with immediate validation and support from your social circle.

Liking and commenting gives a false sense of community participation and support.

Social media creates an environment where minimal effort gives us a false sense of learning, achieving, or belonging.

I don't doubt social media's benefits in empowering creators and enabling worldwide connections, but it can't replace the arduous process of learning new skills and building genuine relationships.

“Nothing worth having comes easy.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Conclusion

Having this awareness brings you one step closer to combating social media distraction.

But changing our behavior is challenging, especially since these platforms are designed to be addictive.

While deleting social media entirely may seem like the simplest solution, those who choose not to can benefit from learning these strategies.