The Socially Fed Pyramid
Understanding the framework for a healthier relationship with social media
The Socially Fed Pyramid
Level 1: Served Content
This is the "tip" of the pyramid - the content that algorithms select and serve to you. It includes personalized ads, suggested posts, and algorithmic recommendations. Like added sugars in food, this content is designed to be enticing and keep you engaged, but should be consumed in moderation.
Examples: Auto-playing videos, "For You" pages, algorithmic feeds, clickbait designed to trigger emotional responses.
Health effects: Research shows passive consumption of algorithm-served content is associated with increased feelings of loneliness and disconnection.
Level 2: Casual Browsing
This level represents the casual scrolling and browsing we do without specific intentions. It's still largely passive but involves more choice than purely algorithm-served content.
Examples: Scrolling through your main feed, casually checking notifications, watching stories without particular purpose.
Health effects: Can be a relaxing activity in moderation, but excessive casual browsing can become a time sink and lead to feelings of wasted time or FOMO (fear of missing out).
Level 3: Intention Based
This represents more deliberate social media use where you have a specific purpose in mind. This involves active choices about what content to consume rather than passive reception.
Examples: Searching for specific information, following particular accounts for their content, joining groups related to your interests.
Health effects: More likely to provide satisfaction and value when the use aligns with your goals or interests, creating a sense of purpose in your social media consumption.
Level 4: Creation
This level involves actively creating and contributing content rather than just consuming it. Research shows that active social media use is associated with more positive outcomes than passive consumption.
Examples: Posting updates, sharing photos, commenting on others' content, participating in discussions, creating stories.
Health effects: Creating and sharing can foster connection and provide a creative outlet, though it also opens you up to more feedback (both positive and negative).
Level 5: Deep Focus
This forms the foundation of a healthy social media diet. It represents mindful engagement that integrates social media into your life in a meaningful way, with full attention and purpose.
Examples: Having meaningful conversations via messaging, working on collaborative projects, building genuine connections, creating content that requires focus and dedication.
Health effects: Associated with the strongest positive outcomes, including enhanced social capital, genuine connection, and a sense of community.
Understanding the Pyramid
The Socially Fed Pyramid is inspired by the food pyramid concept, which has helped people understand nutrition for decades. Just as the food pyramid guides balanced eating, the Socially Fed Pyramid provides a framework for healthier social media consumption.
Our research found that social media consumption exists on a spectrum from passive to active use:
- Passive use is associated with loneliness and disconnection, and is characterized by scrolling, watching without interacting, and consuming algorithm-served content.
- Active use is associated with positive outcomes like community building and meaningful connection, and is characterized by creating content, engaging in conversations, and purposeful interaction.
The pyramid visualizes this relationship, with the tip representing what should be consumed in the smallest amounts (passive, algorithm-served content), and the base representing what should form the foundation of our social media diet (active, intentional, meaningful engagement).
Key Research Findings
- 10% of people who identified as being 'passive' on social media reported hostile abuse or negative comments, while that number doubled to 20% for 'active' users.
- 50% of 'active' users reported having a valued online community that supports them, compared to only 40% of 'passive' users.
- Almost 75% of survey respondents reported switching off notifications to improve their experience.
While our research shows clear benefits to active social media use, it's important to acknowledge the trade-offs. Active users also reported experiencing more negative feedback and criticism. This highlights the need for a nuanced approach to social media consumption.
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