We often scroll for hours before realizing how much time has passed, yet when we look back, we can hardly remember a single meaningful thing we saw. Our minds are filled with noise — thirty-second reels, shallow posts, and fleeting trends. Slowly, our focus span shrinks.
Peoples’ lifestyles, silly challenges, sometimes even dangerous stunts — this is what dominates our feeds. Children have already tried to imitate harmful “viral challenges,” such as the cinnamon challenge (causing choking), the Tide Pod challenge (poisoning risk), or the more recent Benadryl challenge on TikTok, which led to hospitalizations. What seems like entertainment can quickly turn into harm.
We think scrolling is rest, but we end up more exhausted than before. That’s because it drains our energy rather than restores it.
So the question is: Why are we still clinging to toxic content ? Until when will we give importance, power, and precious time to trivial influences ?
The Social Media influence Trap
Social media platforms evolve with a single purpose: to capture attention and monetize it. Their business is built on keeping us hooked, and “influencers” are their frontline soldiers.
Most influencers bring little or no value. They promote lavish lifestyles, luxury products, and fleeting trends — not wisdom, integrity, or growth. These images plant dissatisfaction in the minds of their audience, especially the youth. The constant comparison fuels jealousy, resentment, and a lingering sense that our lives are never enough.
And when it comes to moral responsibility, the picture is even darker. With the genocide in Gaza unfolding in real time, many influencers remain silent — or worse, they actively promote brands complicit in the oppression. Their silence is not neutral; it reveals that for them, profit outweighs humanity.
The Great cost on youth
Our children are the first victims of this distorted digital environment. The UN itself advises that children under 14 should have minimal screen exposure — yet most are online daily, unsupervised, absorbing values that undermine their growth.
Instead of aspiring to wisdom, sincerity, hard work, and integrity, many young people now idolize instant fame. Their role models are no longer teachers, thinkers, or builders, but influencers whose success is measured by likes, views, and sponsored deals.
The result? Constant comparison. Relentless pressure to “perform.” A growing addiction to attention. And a loss of authentic self-worth.
Digital consumption has become as important as the company we keep — if not more. You can choose to distance yourself from a toxic person, but leaving behind addictive digital content is harder. The effect is the same: wasted time, distorted values, and drained energy.
What’s the alternative
Despite the noise, there are creators who bring real value: educators, mentors, thinkers, and communities that share knowledge, reflection, and depth. The problem is, these voices are often drowned out by the flood of triviality.
To reclaim our time and energy, we must take intentional steps:
- Audit your feed. Look closely at who you follow. Does their content inspire growth, or leave you feeling inadequate?
- Unfollow with courage. Remove accounts that drain you or glorify empty lifestyles.
- Replace noise with nourishment. Follow educators, writers, and thinkers who add value to your life. Read more books. Engage with communities that build you up.
- Control your time. Set clear limits on daily screen use. Avoid addictive formats like endless reels and shorts.
- Shift your perspective. Content is not just entertainment — it shapes your thoughts, your values, and your sense of self. Protect it the way you’d protect your closest circle of friends.
Personally, I’ve struggled with this too. Today, I only use YouTube and LinkedIn — and even there, I avoid shorts. YouTube, when used intentionally, is a powerful learning platform. The key is not removal for the sake of it, but conscious curation.
Conclusion — Curating Your Digital Circle
Just as bad friendships can derail us, bad digital influences quietly erode our values and energy. The danger is that we don’t always notice the decline until it’s too late.
But the choice is still ours. We can continue giving our attention to trivial voices, or we can reclaim it for growth, wisdom, and values that matter. We can be passive consumers — or conscious curators.
Protecting your energy means protecting what you allow into your mind, both offline and online. Step away from trivial content, and surround yourself with influence that make you wiser, stronger, and more human.