Social Media in My Life

Like most people in my age group, social media has played a big factor in my life. Ever since I was 11 or 12, my peers started using social media sites like twitter and instagram. When I was younger, I felt like I “had” to have these sites to fit in and know what was going on in the world. To me, social media is a blessing and a curse. Having these platforms where we can connect with and meet people from all over the world is incredible, but at the same time, it can be harmful to our mental health and spread false information. Social media plays a role in our society by being the eyes of everything we do. Everyone is posting what they do on a daily basis and how they are feeling. It allows us to share our lives and learn more about whats going on in the world. At the same time however, social media platforms are full of miserable people who just try and hurt others. Fake news is also something very common on social media sites. Another factor in which social media negatively affects people, particularly individuals 25 and under, is the almost unspoken fact that we always feel the need to be “perfect.” A lot of young adults feel as if likes and followers validate them and define their role in society. When I was younger, I honestly felt like this a little. As I’ve gotten older, I realized that I am not just a number and my statistics on social media don’t define me as a person. I believe this is all harder on the younger generations though, due to them being exposed to social media at a younger age than us. What interests me about social media the most is the fact that it is always progressing. Every second, it’s changing. There are new sites being made, new updates, etc. In the future, I think social media will be even more about money. In the past ten years, I have seen sites like youtube go from valuing the idea of expressing your creativity to just making videos to earn money or promote certain products. The future will probably hold new social media sites and opportunities. Social media plays an important part in the digital age and although there are many negative aspects of these platforms, there is also a plethora of positives such as networking connections, access to information, and opportunities.