Blog #4-Motivation

In my eyes, it is fairly apparent why users join and stay on social media platforms. The motivation is attention, the gratification of having numbers that equate to people. Being able to quantify our social capital and involvement, and have a tangible example of it on a day to day basis, it allows to feel valued and included in society. We can inflate our sense of self-importance by followers, or our confidence by likes on a picture. The allure of that sucks users in, and holds them there as they become more and more dependent on the temporary happiness it provides. Removing ourselves from the platforms feels like cutting ourselves off from society altogether. We lose our source of connection and information, as well as that never-ending well of temporary gratification. The “fear of missing out” for as cliche a concept as it can be, is ultimately very real and our ability to be aware of, witness to, or participate in socialization often hinges on being tapped in to social media. Even missing out on the feeling of missing out can be a scary prospect, as we can become attached to living vicariously through seeing other’s social life on the social media platforms.