© Wavebreakmedia / Envato ElementsNowadays, it's hard to do without social media. Living abroad, far from loved ones, makes it almost essential. Staying informed, handling paperwork, finding a job, making friends: everything feels easier with social media close at hand. But what happens when time spent in front of a screen starts eating into time spent living in the real world? Is the "connected life," and the habits it creates, like endless scrolling, an asset for expats or a danger?
Let's start by clarifying one thing: this article isn't about being for or against social media. Its benefits are well established, especially when you're living abroad. It helps you find a job, make friends, find housing, book a doctor's appointment, keep up with the news, and so much more... But nothing happens automatically, and every expat builds (or doesn't build) their own routine with this or that social network.
You might assume that screen time naturally increases once you move abroad. Social media becomes one of the best ways to stay connected with loved ones and to socialize in a new country... Yet some expats actually use social media less once they're living abroad. That's the case for Moon Dog. Living in the Philippines, he says: « I use social media a lot less here than I did in the US. I check my emails, and sometimes post on Facebook before going to bed, or before sunrise... »
Fred, who lives in Indonesia, barely uses social media: just YouTube and WhatsApp. « Here, WhatsApp works like a phone. People ask for my WhatsApp handle instead of my phone number. Other calling apps aren't used much, though some people use WeChat. » Already a light user to begin with, Fred says he's using social media even less these days. He blames artificial intelligence (AI), which he feels is watering down content quality. « I watch fewer YouTube videos now because of how many low-quality AI-generated videos there are. » TikTok's explosive growth only reinforces his decision: « I see too many people making pointless videos. »
Is AI's growing influence making people more wary of social media? Yes, Cynic, an expat in England, confirms. « […] I don't believe anything I read online anymore, but I still watch it for entertainment. » Cynic browses YouTube and kills time scrolling through TikTok Reels, but he stays fully aware of the role social media plays in his life: content that should remain just that, content.
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Many expats know this scenario all too well: alone one evening in their home abroad, with no « real person » to talk to. A feeling of loneliness starts to creep in, whether justified or not. Even a full, busy expat life can hit rough patches. The solution seems obvious: dive into the digital world and watch content to pass the time. But that's exactly where the problem lies. How much time should you actually spend on this evening (or daytime) activity? When scrolling starts taking up more and more space in an expat's life, can we really still call it an « anti-blues » solution?
Because infinite scrolling wasn't designed as a cure or a new friend, but rather as a way to capture your attention... while keeping you passive. Endless scrolling content gives an instant sense of satisfaction. No effort required: the information comes straight to you. But once you can't break out of the loop, you rarely walk away from a scrolling session feeling satisfied.
No. This phenomenon affects expats and locals alike. You can live abroad while using social media in a perfectly reasonable way (as the testimonials above show). You might move abroad and end up doubling your social media time, but for good reasons: calling loved ones, checking in on them... This kind of use doesn't harm your quality of life. Quite the opposite. It rebuilds connections, lets you share your expat life, and helps you gain some perspective. Once the conversation is over, putting down the smartphone, tablet, or computer is easy.
The same goes for digital content, whether it's meant to inform or entertain: it shouldn't be an expat's only source of information or entertainment, but rather one tool among many.
However, when this content starts replacing human interaction, when it becomes the only source of information and/or entertainment, it stops serving its original purpose. Occasionally getting lost in the infinite scroll loop is fine, but daily infinite scrolling that traps expats and stops them from socializing is not.
This is the whole paradox of « social media ». The way it's designed sometimes seems far removed from the idea of socializing, and closer to the idea of « conditioning »: training our brains to absorb more and more content, without the ability to break free from the loop. The real-life consequences can be serious: trouble concentrating, fatigue, irritability, lower self-esteem, loss of interest (even in hobbies you used to enjoy), and cognitive overload...
To avoid this overload, it's important to put social media back in its place: a handy tool that makes daily life easier, not a replacement for human relationships. Integration is, after all, one of the biggest challenges of expat life. Expats find comforting support by joining expat communities on social media. But far from trapping people in a virtual world, these communities (where lots of practical tips get shared) actually open the door to real-life interactions. Expats meet up in person, join associations, organize meetups with locals, and help these communities grow...
And even when an expat seems to share their entire life on social media, nothing beats a real conversation, whether in person or not. It's easy to assume that posting online is enough to keep loved ones updated. They might even think they no longer need to call, since they already have access to all the expat's online content. But in reality, these direct exchanges are essential because they rebuild connection. A photo can't talk. Neither can a text. The tool doesn't replace human interaction. Quite the opposite: it encourages real exchanges and helps you make the most of your expat life.
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