Trick Facebook has been added to connect us all to social media – Social Media Explorer.

Did you know that Facebook doesn’t use tagging and Like to support?

When apps like Facebook first debuted, they didn’t allow users to “like” other posts or tag users. Needless to say, the Like button was one of the best inventions of the last decade, but probably the worst at the same time.

Cal Newport, author and productivity expert, made it clear that liking and tagging on social media was not part of the original business model.

These are invented after the fact that they are known as “approval indicators”. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that the “Like” button was not added to Facebook until 2007, three years after the social network was launched.

Newport claims that the iPhone was not intended to be an all-day phone where you scroll on Twitter like a zombie.

Steve Jobs suggested that the product be like an MP3 player, but when he announced it, it could be doubled as a smartphone. Newport says social media has created a frenzy where we scroll endlessly throughout the day. It is now, as usual, doing billions upon billions of funneling into the treasury of business, social media platforms.

Residents of Las Vegas compare Newport’s robotic-like, irrational doom scrolling to how they use slot machines. She’s not kidding. Social media experts have studied the nature of slot machine addiction and then created likes and tags to match them.

You will “win” when you see likes on your posts We don’t even know it’s happening. Facebook has just updated their web interface with more bright colors and white space. This is basically a new slot machine interface.

Although we engage in unorganized conversations, our brains are not designed for such chaos. We want to focus on the short term — let’s say seven minutes at a time — and get one thing done. That way we feel productive, and fulfilling. We did Something. In the case of social media, the idea is to constantly switch your attention from one thing to another. Look at your baby for a moment. Next, take a look at the wedding photos. Then, you can go to Grandma’s pictures. It is a willing, constant, obsessive, and chaotic overload of our senses throughout the day.

Sometimes, we need peace of mind. This test can be done now to test it. Visual information is responsible for about 30% of the brain’s capacity. Peace comes only when you close your eyes. A sleep can be even more beneficial. Close your eyes for seven minutes and take a deep, comfortable breath. You will feel relaxed and calm because your brain got a quick rest.

One thing that is critically important for understanding the constant use of social media is that it is a way to relieve pain. We may not know what pain we are trying to relieve. It can sit so deep in us that we are not aware of it. Stress, conflict and depression at work can cause pain. We want false stimuli and a dopamine reward in our brains, and we don’t know why. We are seeking approval and credibility from our colleagues, but we have never met half of those so-called colleagues. We “like” because we want to like.

A common psychological desire is to influence other people. Sociometer. Social radar is constantly alert. Another embarrassment is that when we try to reduce the stress of life by using social media, we are actually creating more stress in our pursuit. We do not measure up to everyone else. This false feeling of stress relief can lead to a vicious circle where we want more false rewards.

It doesn’t work.

Once we realize that social media will not provide the answers we are looking for, the next question is, where do we look instead?

Good question, I’m glad to ask you.

The meaning of work must be secondary. Before pursuing something temporary like job satisfaction, purpose must be present in us. Whenever we try to find the meaning and purpose of the work, we find that the work will not satisfy us completely.

I have tried to find money through my work. Sad to say, it doesn’t work. Working hard will not make you feel good about yourself. Good productivity will not change your life or improve relationships.

What makes work meaningful? Finding money and purpose is the first step to work. Then you will see nothing but the way to finish the job (and social media) because you are working on the purpose you have already found. You will see a change in how you work.

Instagram is the best example of trying to make money by clicking, liking, sharing and commenting on social media. Maybe if we keep scrolling through Instagram we will get rid of some worrying thoughts. It tends to think that we are “working” towards certain goals when in fact it is an illusion of work.

Emily Gould, a writer and poet, explains how she wrote a novel year after year before trying to fool herself using Twitter for being productive. It was a way to get away from the humiliation of working for him.

Aren’t many of our quests for success like that? Work is easy to chase, but then suddenly realize that it is a waste.

The most apparent waste of time is social media.

While many of us use social media as a reserve while waiting in line at Starbucks, we can be more intentional about how we use these apps. You can make social media more meaningful. First, determine the purpose and meaning of your social media presence. Then you can use it to help you do your job.

Excerpts from my book 7 minute productivity solution.