One F in Foley: Some subtle dangers of social media in 2025
Jonathan Foley is a regular columnist in the LetterkennyLive newspaper, and having gone digital, he shares that he's observed things online that can cause anxiety, but there are also a few things that can eradicate it
Just to clarify right from the start that I’m no self-help improvement guy, nor am I an author of those cringeworthy ‘A Guide to Being a Better You’ books.
As a teacher and a writer, though, there are some things that I’ve observed that can cause anxiety, but there are also a few things I’ve noticed that can eradicate it.
First up, let’s take a look a social media. Now, I certainly won’t sit here on a high horse and say that it’s the worst thing ever! I use it to create content and publicise and distribute my writings, as well as to use it as a source of information when needed. So, for me to decry it as wrong would come across as somewhat hypocritical.
On the other hand, there’s no harm in taking a step back now and again and seeing how it can affect the hearts and minds of those who use it, maybe a bit too much. And, more importantly, for those who perhaps use it the wrong way and take everything that’s written online as gospel.
The Myth of Influencers
The vast majority of ‘influencers’ on social media are there to either sell themselves or sell content to you. There’s nothing wrong with self-promotion, but it does carry a waft of corporatism. The reason for that is simple: the business owners will approach someone with a big following to advertise on their behalf.
From the business owners’ perspective, this might be cheaper than paying a radio station for a 30-second advert and, because we live in a more visual society nowadays, it suits the company doing the adverts twice as much. All they need is a witty, good-looking and happy, smiling influencer to do the advert for them.
And never forget, too, that many of these influencers are, quite simply, trying to sell you something. In the interest of balance and fairness, yes, they might show some creativity with their own choice of lip sync or TikTok Dance, but a lot of them will make sure you see the brand of trainers they’re wearing.
There are a few that always stick out in my mind that I saw and couldn’t help but analyse. One involved a few Irish lads going to a Premier League side’s home stadium for a match, and the number of times a certain food delivery app was mentioned in their casual conversation during those 90 seconds was fairly unbearable.
Another was a guy who was on a political rant about the Middle East. Waving flags and declaring his undying loyalty to a certain people and their cause, and how he ‘identifies with their plight and suffering.’
Later that same day, he posted a ‘come with me’ video where he did a voiceover of how good a local chippie’s burger menu was. No doubt the political rally and the chip-shop plans were all made to be on the same day.
I’m fairly sure that a lot of grown-ups out there already know this, but as a teacher, I’d be more concerned that younger kids don't. They see a wonderful, glamorous, and fun lifestyle being portrayed, and - while it’s great to have heroes - falling into the trap of anxiety and stress can become a concern for them.
Any teacher will tell you that they are often competing for the attention of their students against their mobile phones, a lot of the time.
Through discussions with parents and guardians, I’ve learned that this is often the case at family dinner tables and during times when homework tasks are supposed to be getting done.
Where my concern kicks in is that when they see the ‘wonderful world’ these influencers live in, it can create a subtle resentment to those of us the kids see back here in the ‘real world.’
They realise that exams have to get done, bills have to be paid, and yes, the weather is not always sunny in County Donegal.
Post-Covid Escalation
Inadvertently, the often leads to anxiousness and stress. What adds to that is often how cruel people, not just teenagers, can be when interacting with online comments on any topic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an upsurge in these, and it's carried on and gained momentum ever since.
Those who are from a certain age might recall the Foot-and-Mouth outbreak of 2001. Public events like St. Patrick’s Day parades were cancelled, disinfectant mats were placed outside every doorway on the street, and people generally took precautions for fear of spreading the variant any further. Sound familiar?
The main difference, though, was that back then, people trusted the advice that came from above. We didn’t belittle it, deride it, or go onto online forums and spout vile remarks at one another. We didn’t suddenly become experts or polarised in our views. Arguments became more bitter and less constructive.
This has filtered onwards. Donegal were due to play Monaghan in the Ulster Championship quarter-finals last weekend, and when a lot of people found out that RTÉ weren’t going to be televising it, there was a fairly solid social media uproar of ‘I paid my TV license and now I cannot watch my county on it?!?’
Everyone wants their county to be on telly, but the logic of paying a licence fee entitling you to see every one of their games - even when there’s loads of other games on that weekend - beggars belief. But that’s my opinion, and others have theirs, but spouting them online does set a bad example for youngsters.
Take It Easy
As alluded to earlier, a lot of social media can be fun. I enjoy posting content that carries a creative nature. A written article, an animation short, or a bit of guitar jamming. It’s just no harm to let the younger generation know that when it comes to influencers, that all that glitters is not gold.
The earliest social media pages - Bebo, MySpace, HighFive, and Facebook - were generally started with the intention for late adolescent/college students to share pictures, leave comments, and do quizzes. In less than two decades, it has grown into something so much more that can be both enjoyable and terrifying.