Someone confined to a wheelchair, with a smartphone mounted for him to use with a mouth stylus, is perhaps the last person who would be thought likely to question the value of social media, and Smeele acknowledges the contact it gives him with mates he cannot as easily meet now.
But the last time he was in hospital for spinal treatment he decided to do without social media for a while and see what happened. He realised the "highlight reels of other people's lives" were making it harder to enjoy the life he had.
He did not leave the phone off but he consciously reduced his use and noticed the good things around him.
That is something many of us could do. Social media is a not a movie we are making. It's a means of communication with people we know or share our interests. It is good to send and receive happy snapshots and witty comments but it should not be mistaken for a documentary of real life.
It is certainly not a reflection on your own life if you does not seem as joyful and eventful as the posts by your Facebook friends. Life coach and Herald columnist Louise Thompson calls this "comparisonitis".
In her practice she see it a lot. It can be unhealthy for the sender as well as the receiver, she says. "It's dangerous if you put your self-esteem in how many likes you get on Facebook and Instagram ... you can't control that."
Cut it down if you can.
