Three billion people in the world, which is almost 40% of the planet’s population, wake up every day and grab their smartphone. We spend an average of two hours on social networks, filling them with photos, statuses and likes. Imagine millions of tweets and photos from Snapchat flying into space every minute, filling the universe with “virtual garbage”. But, as psychologists say, every suitcase has its own cargo, and the more we immerse ourselves in this virtual reality, the more difficult it is for us to recognize where the useful advantages end and where the psychological traps begin.
Ukrainians in social networks
Ukraine is confidently entering the era of digital ubiquity, and it seems that even the war could not stop this process, on the contrary, it accelerated it. While the country’s population was shrinking at a record pace (minus 32% in three years), the number of Internet users fell by only 12%. The Internet, unlike the population, is not going to emigrate anywhere. It grows, takes root and transforms into a real household standard.
As of 2024, 26 million Ukrainians are actively surfing the Internet. Such statistics became a confirmation of a kind of digital breathing of the nation, which is becoming deeper and faster. And it is not surprising that in 2023, 80% of users spend more than three hours on the Internet. The war changed routes but failed to change digital habits. People moved from the South to the West, from cities to villages or from one urban area to another, but they always took the main thing with them — Wi-Fi and charging.
Interestingly, the migrations had almost no effect on the type of settlement where people eventually settled. That is, a conditional resident of Kharkiv moved to Ternopil, and not to a village in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. This shows that Ukrainians are trying to stick to their usual living conditions. This choice is quite logical, especially when work, school, friends and news now “live” in a smartphone. Remote work and learning have ceased to be exotic, and have become routine, which indicates a stable digital adaptation.
The real shock was the figures regarding the time spent online. The average Ukrainian in 2024 spends 11.4 hours a day in the digital world. For comparison, back in 2021, this indicator was twice as low. Over the past three years, the digital appetite of Ukrainians has grown by 74%, and this is not just a jump, but a real technological reincarnation. Moreover, over the previous decade (from 2011 to 2021), all media together grew by only 23%. In just a few years, we’ve made up for what we’ve been doing for decades.
Social networks and elderly people
It is difficult to imagine modern life without social networks. They became not only a means of communication, but also a space for self-expression, a source of news, support and even protest. Thanks to them, relatives from different continents can see each other every day, and thousands of people find support in times of crisis. This was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when live communication was under lock and key, and digital contact became the only available.
One of the undeniable advantages of social networks is their ability to be a microphone for those who have not been heard before. Marginalized communities, people with mental or physical disabilities, victims of violence received a tool to speak out, receive support and form a collective opinion. Hashtags that became symbols of movements like #MeToo, #янебоюсьсказати showed how digital platforms can become catalysts for social change. And while social networks used to be perceived primarily as entertainment, today they are increasingly becoming a medium for inquiry, activism, and even learning.
Social networks are often criticized for an excessive amount of superficial content, which allegedly does not contribute to the development of intelligence. The term “digital dementia” has even appeared, which refers to the anxiety caused by the constant consumption of such content. But interesting facts have been discovered thanks to new studies that show that social networks can be much more useful than harmful for the elderly. Scientists from the Austin Dell School of Medicine at Baylor University and the University of Texas analyzed over 136 studies and data from more than 400,000 people. The results showed that older people who actively use modern technologies have a 58% lower risk of developing cognitive disorders than their peers who are less active in the digital environment.
Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University, Dr. Michael K. Scullin explains that learning new technologies can be a daunting task, especially for older people. However, this very challenge turns out to be good for the brain. After all, this is a manifestation of a cognitive challenge, which, although it seems difficult at the beginning, helps to train the brain. Tasks like updating software, filtering ads, or troubleshooting Wi-Fi require active mental activity, which over time supports cognitive function. According to researchers, such actions do not exhaust, but on the contrary stimulate the brain. In addition, digital technologies enable older people to remain more independent in everyday life and strengthen social ties. Now there is an opportunity to communicate with relatives of different generations, not only through conversation, but also through video communication. The ability to share photos, write e-mails instantly reduces the feeling of loneliness inherent in older people. That’s why experts recommend involving older people in the use of modern technologies so that they can take full advantage of digital tools to improve their lives.
The hypnotic effect of social networks
But this digital revolution has a flip side. Underneath the pretty wrapper are real consequences for mental, behavioral, and physical health. And these are no longer assumptions, but verified scientific facts. Social networks, like boas, hypnotize and hold our attention, forcing us to forget about time. Let’s take at least short videos that have become a universal antidote to boredom. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels offer instant gratification, minimal effort and maximum stimulation. But behind the simplicity of such content lies a serious challenge for our psyche and neurophysiology.
New ones research from China sheds light on what happens to the brain of a person who spends too much time in a video feed of up to one minute. A team from Tianjin University surveyed 111 students who regularly use platforms with short video content. Participants were carefully selected with no prior psychiatric or neurological disorders to isolate the specific effects of digital habits. Thanks to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scientists were able to identify structural and functional changes in the brain that correlate with dependence on the video format.
In particular, an increase in the volume of gray matter was found in the orbitofrontal cortex and cerebellum — areas associated with decision-making, emotional regulation and self-control. This may indicate that the brain is literally “rewired” for impulsive consumption of overstimulating content.
The side effects of the habit of endless scrolling are no less impressive. Participants in the experiment lost about 30% of the quality of sleep, the time to fall asleep increased by 40%, and one in two began to suffer from chronic insomnia. And this is not surprising, given that the brain, activated by bright videos, is in no hurry to “turn off” even after the phone is put down. Researchers from the University of Glasgow also proved that if a user spends more than 5 hours a day on social networks, it is highly likely to lead to sleep disturbances, memory impairment and general emotional state. And it also reduces the time we spend with loved ones, at cultural events or just outside.
A sharp drop in the ability to concentrate is also disconcerting. Before the experiment, the average time to focus attention was 2.5 minutes. After active consumption of short videos, it dropped to 47 seconds. This suggests that our cognitive skills are adapting to a new type of information environment where slow, analytical thinking gives way to impulsive responses to stimuli.
Another aspect analyzed by the scientists points to the impact of short videos on emotional health. Many participants had increased anxiety, and half had symptoms of depression that required medication support. The reasons were found not only in the overload of the nervous system, but also in the typical mechanisms of social networks. Yes research from Sauncey University showed a direct relationship between the amount of time spent on Facebook and the level of dissatisfaction with life. People subconsciously compare themselves to idealized images on the Internet, often not realizing that the posts they see do not reflect real life, but are selected fragments of someone else’s reality.
Even the seemingly innocuous feature of posting a photo can have a deeper impact than meets the eye. Psychologists explain that the expectation of a reaction in the form of likes and comments activates the reward system in the brain. Such a mechanism is the reason why many people “get stuck” in the tape for hours. Seeking approval and “recognition” becomes an automatic behavior, and social media a source of instant emotional reward. The problem is that it passes quickly, unlike addiction.
Teenagers remain a particularly vulnerable group. At a time when the psyche is still forming, Snapchat or Instagram filters create an illusion of beauty that often has nothing to do with reality. This causes a psychological “gap” between the appearance in the mirror and the image on the screen, which, how confirm scientists from Harvard Medical School, can cause depression, anxiety and even eating disorders.
In general, envy has an interesting effect. Seeing the ideal life of others in fast, brightly edited videos, users compare it with their own reality and begin to feel worse. It turned out that individuals with a tendency to envy have a higher level of emotional imbalance after watching the content. This creates a vicious circle: the more time we spend on social networks, the worse we feel, and the more often we return for a “dose” of dopamine, hoping to improve our mood. But at the same time, it is envy that can become a catalyst for action and force us to change our lives for the better.
It seems that the more friends on Facebook, the better the social life. However, scientist Robin Dunbar proved that the human brain can maintain close emotional contact with no more than 15-20 people. The rest are statistics that do not give a sense of real connection. It should be understood that time spent with virtual friends does not compensate for physical communication and does not improve well-being.
All these studies demonstrate the fact that technology is neither good nor evil in itself. The problem lies in scale, context and our response to new digital habits. Short videos cannot be demonized because they have entertainment and even educational value. But when viewing becomes automatic, uncontrollable, and the brain over-adapted to instant gratification, it needs attention and possibly correction. And if modern people are not ready to completely abandon TikTok or Reels, then it is worth at least realizing that each such viewing will be a micro-investment in our way of thinking, our stress level, our ability to concentrate and even our night’s sleep.
So, while the world is changing, and borders are turning into conventions, Ukraine is transitioning to a new form of existence: digital, mobile, adaptive. Some still call it “survival,” but no doubt everyone would agree that this is our new reality. And although digitization raises many questions about psychological fatigue, social habits, and information security, we can say for sure that we will not return to the analog past. But we will return to the Internet every day and not for a couple of hours. The secret is to learn how to use this tool wisely and without harming yourself.
