What motivates us online(?)

Had enough of social media? Need a break from influencers and bragging online friends? I’m afraid quitting social media won’t help you. Taking a break doesn’t relieve you from your social media addiction and fear of missing out. Social media has become a part of how we communicate. And it became part of our basic need for social contact. Quitting it just delays this negative behavior. And it doesn’t change our online motivation.

Our behavior online mostly comes from extrinsic motivation. It feeds on results out of our control and relies on how other people see us. This behavior develops a false sense of impact and self-worth to what other people think or say about you. To find genuine fulfillment and purpose, you should share the things out of intrinsic motivation, which means sharing things that matter to you and don’t necessarily have another outcome than personal joy.

Stress and depression derive from extrinsic motivation. And it holds us back from living in the moment. It creates envy and produces useless values. Try to remember when you were happy or had a positive experience, and think about where it came from. Meaningful things have a positive effect on your mental health. And it’s important to ask yourself this question often to stay connected to your core values.

Start moderating your external influences. We tend to imitate what we see. You have a choice on who to follow. So choose your connections by following that same intrinsic motivation. Decide what or who motivates and inspires you. You can always visit your friend’s profile when you start to wonder what they are up to. But there is a big chance you won’t anyway.

#communication #facebook #fomo #inspiration #instagram #jomo #motivation #socialmedia #values