Is social media for idiots?
Yes, but it’s also for smart people.
From something that started from rating people hot or not, social media platforms have taken over the internet. From the people that post their every thought, to the people that lurk and never ‘like’, social media is used by a lot of people. According to the website Statista, there are currently 3.6 billion social network users. Granted these are not all people, some are companies, and some people have multiple profiles, it is still a lot of people.
I personally love social media. It allows me to keep in contact with people I have met all over the world, from Guatemala to Zambia. I can watch my friend’s babies grow up and get my entertainment from the old man that shares hilarious memes (sorry Peter). Most importantly, social media platforms tell me when it’s someone’s birthday. In fact, as I am writing this, at the stroke of midnight it will be my birthday!
Apart from the social side of it, social media has allowed numerous people to grow their businesses. I have spent hours trying to figure out if something is real or cake, purchased resin jewellery from my childhood best friend, and got sucked into early Black Friday sales from corporations that don’t deserve my money. Companies are becoming savvy with realising what social media can do for their businesses, and if they’re not they can hire someone to help! From using flashy adverts to influencers, enticing people in has become a lot easier. There was a multitude of people wearing the infamous ‘Glastonberry’ lipstick one summer, and I was one of them. Ordinary teenagers are selling out their merchandise in minutes, artists are selling out their concerts in seconds, and some brands are selling out before the product has even gone on sale. I don’t think these people are idiots.
One thing I truly love about social media, is the chances it gives people. One person went viral for the commentary he did watching people cook, now he works on the Ellen show. People have met their best friends and the love of their lives on social media. There was recently a trend on social media where people showed pictures from ‘how it started’ to ‘how it’s going. I loved seeing all these posts. Some started from the ever annoying ‘pokes’ on Facebook, to getting married and starting a family. People then started showing their puppies growing up and that made my heart extra happy.
The idiots.
Right now, the US election is taking place. This is a prime example of an idiot being on social media. From declaring an early, completely untruthful victory, to using scare tactics and enticing violence at polling stations, the last few days have been a poop storm. I’m not a fan of calling people idiots, but some people really are idiots. When people have a huge social media presence, what they share can literally influence thousands, if not millions of people. If that thing is negative and unsafe, it could result in people turning up to polling stations with guns, putting people’s lives at risk. This is idiotic behaviour.
Alongside this, there needs to be a lesson taught that not everything on social media is true. If you ‘share’ a post, you aren’t going to get a million pounds in your bank account or you’re going to die if you don’t share it. Also, if someone is losing and tells everyone that he is losing because of fraud, don’t believe it. My favourite is when a family member, or a middle-aged person, shares a story from ‘The Onion’ believing it to be real. It does make me chuckle.
The best.
The best form of social media is when people share media of their pets, especially when they are funny. Pretending to speak for your dog, is my favourite form of entertainment. In these current climates, humour and happiness (and social distancing with masks) is everything we need.
In conclusion, social media is for idiots, but it’s also for forgetful people, happy people, sad people, and everybody in between.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/
