Social networks, the year-end rankings make us sad

Social networks

December is the time to take stock and, especially in the era of social networks, it is a period characterized by year-end rankings. The feeds of the platforms are filled with lists of the best books read, films viewed and albums listened to over the course of the year by individual users registered on the various platforms. In the same way, on magazines and websites – yes, even here on sportsgaming.win – articles on the best of the last twelve months abound. In addition to being useful for discovering new artists and finding news that we had missed, the year-end rankings can also hide a downside. Indeed, observing the online activity of others can cause Fomo ( fear of missing out ), i.e. the fear of having missed something and therefore feeling inadequate.

Fomo from Spotify Wrapped

Spotify Wrapped is a function of the music streaming platform which, with its 456 million listeners worldwide, takes stock of the most listened to music and podcasts in the last twelve months. Each subscriber can see the most listened to songs and favorite genres on their homepage. Other popular streaming services like Apple Music and Amazon Music offer similar recap playlists. Often, in the last weeks of December, many users share their results on social networks. In fact, they show it off: With an immersive stat display and eye-pleasing graphics, Wrapped (which has seen its usage quadruple since its launch in 2017) can be shared in seconds, showcasing what you've been listening to. 'Last year .

“ Spotify Wrapped has turned listening to music into a competition where fans are encouraged to battle against each other. Users find themselves competing to see who has the most eclectic tastes or who has listened to the most music,” wrote Glenn Fosbraey, professor of social sciences at the English University of Winchester. Pushing to publish this data could trigger envy and sadness in other users. “Through Wrapped, Spotify arms its users with something they know will instigate feelings of Fomo, encouraging us to lash out at each other in the name of fun.”

Spotify Wrapped

Leaderboards and Recaps

It's not just streaming services that produce year-end leaderboards. The end of the year review trend in which the most viewed personal posts of the last 12 years are displayed as a ranking, is exploited by many platforms. Instagram focuses on photo galleries called recaps; Facebook and TikTok encourage users to share the moments of the past year that have already won the most likes. The tool serves to keep subscribers on the platforms, but could be counterproductive for those who view them. “As you scroll through social media and see near-perfect photos, if your life pales in comparison it's natural to feel bad about yourself,” psychologist Bonnie Zucker explained in an article titled, “Don't Let Social Media Cause Year-End Sadness.” .

According to the expert, rankings and social media recaps give everyone the opportunity to express their tastes, but risk making the authors themselves sad. “Seeing people on social media with strong beliefs that conflict with ours can stir up anger and contribute to symptoms of depression and anxiety.” The solution? Take the results with a grain of salt. This does not mean that statistics are meaningless. Reports are valuable, they're a fun way to share passions with friends, and they can provide personal insight into the past year, but it shouldn't be forgotten that they'll never show 100 percent of who shared them." It is therefore important to remember that there is no right way to spend time online or consume media content and that it is okay to have your own preferences and interests. Rather than feeling left out, it's better to focus on the works you like and find new experiences that suit your tastes. Without comparison and avoiding the Fomo .