For seemingly no other reason than to delight in oversharing, former candidate for Senate Beto O’Rourke livestreamed his dentist appointment on Instagram on Thursday. O’Rourke, a quickly rising star in national politics, is known for this: After his first debate against Sen. Ted Cruz, the video of him air-drumming to The Who while waiting in the drive-thru at Whataburger went viral, boosting his reputation as hip, cool, and obviously worthy of being elected.
Texans disagreed, although O’Rourke, along with many other politicians, Hollywood stars, and heck, even average Americans, seem to have a weakness for social media and an affinity for sharing the coolest and most mundane aspects of life. Not everyone is impressed or amused:
Beto O’Rourke has quickly gone from the Cool Kid to the Aging Uncle Who Overshares Online. https://t.co/tXrrlIrq1V
— Cam Edwards (@CamEdwards) January 10, 2019
At first, the world of social media seemed exciting and informative, if not downright genius and magical. With a touch, you can see a friend’s baby, a new chef’s best dish, sports scores from a game you missed, or a politician’s latest gaffe. But as is human nature, this too has overtaken our lives.
Overuse and oversharing on social media is an increasing trend, and it’s harming teenagers and adults alike. A May Pew Research report said 95 percent of teenagers have a phone and almost half admit they are online “almost constantly.” Almost three-quarters of adults use social media. Now that the sheen has worn off some, studies show excessive use can be linked to depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
Excessive sharing and social media use is a double whammy for both the person posting and the person observing: For the person who compulsively shares every meal, every trip, every Uber ride, and every thought that passes through her head, there’s a dopamine hit in the brain signaling attention and reward for every like, share, and comment. This continues the cycle of oversharing and why a mild Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook user goes from posting once a week to 70 times a day. (A friend recently told me about someone she follows on Instagram who posts live stories from the moment she wakes up until midnight or so, totaling dozens of stories per day.)
For the user, or the person observing, it’s a passive activity, one might think, and so it shouldn’t affect a person’s mental state much. But, as the aforementioned studies show, it produces a kind of faux envy. Adults know Instagram isn’t real life — it’s all filters and posed shots. But still we wonder deep down: What if it is real? What if their life is really like that?
Whether it’s the perfection of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ home presented as a quaint, cozy, reality (no offense to them, it really is gorgeous) or O’Rourke’s livestreaming of a dentist appointment (a bizarre narcissism indeed), too much social media brews a kind of relentless unhappiness for some, a stimulant to continue their own brand of narcissism for others. It’s not only acceptable to keep activities, problems, successes, or concerns private. But a little selection, privacy, and mystery could help improve mental and emotional health.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
