Don’t let them steal your Christmas
You're better off going dark on social media this festive season.
By Getty Images
You're better off going dark on social media this festive season.
Getting online is a quick fix to fill the various breaks throughout the day. Heaven forbid you get bored for a second! But the internet is particularly chaotic around the holiday season, and we haven't even entered the stage where everyone starts sharing pictures of their holiday leftover tables, further alienating those spending the festive season alone.
Indeed, this is a season when it's common to feel blue, and Cybernews journalists offer several compelling reasons to stay offline this December in an effort to, well, stay sane.
Lately, my social media feed has been inundated with content promising rapid cortisol detox, as if it were as simple as drinking fluids and electrolytes to flush out the few beers you had.
Apparently, hashtag #cortisoldetox is gaining traction online, accompanied by false promises to make you stress-free in no time. However, there are no quick fixes for this – lowering cortisol levels requires a lifestyle change.
As a teenager, I was drawn to fashion magazines like Cosmopolitan that emphasized quick diets to get skinny in time “for your special day.” Through trial and error, my generation of women has realized there are no easy solutions to larger problems, such as low self-esteem.
It's no different when it comes to mental health and stress. And yet, it's hard to resist flashy videos on social media that promise those supposedly easy solutions.
Another disturbing trend that somewhat showcased our brainrot was people trying to hack their Spotify Wrapped before it dropped. Apparently, some users were rigging their lists to avoid shame and embarrassment.
Unless you are a social media persona and earn a living from your perfectly-tailored online aesthetics, why go through all that trouble?
Another energy-draining exercise online has been holiday shopping. As cartoonist Lindsey Budde aptly pointed out, marketers have expanded their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to meet their sales goals. This means we've essentially entered a never-ending cycle of "limited offer" deals where only one thing is truly limited: your money.
No, in fact, there’s another thing in high demand yet limited supply – the UGG Lowmel shoe. Over 60M posts on TikTok discuss the shoe, making every teenager succumb to peer pressure and beg to own it. Only problem is, they cost $150 and are nowhere (well, Europe, at least) to be found. I bet once they are in stock again, the price won’t matter.
Hunting for ‘rare’ items is an expensive dopamine rush, isn’t it?
Or just another effortless way to get a kick?
If it’s not your yearly music recap, maybe you’ll look back and categorize the books you’ve read, the miles you’ve run, or the countries you’ve visited.
You can also get some stats about your Netflix history. Although, the most important metric is missing from here – how many hours we’ve actually spent trying to figure out what to watch on Netflix.
I know my Garmin is lurking in the corners to steal my “feeling-good-about-myself” mood. And who might be your Grinch this year?
