Social Media is for Idiots
Photo credit: William Iven
Is social media for idiots? Most people do use social media in their lives, whether its Facebook, Instagram, Twitter- the list is endless. We use it for a variety of purposes and to brand all social media users as an idiot would make me an incredibly big hypocrite because I do use many platforms on the internet a many a time in order to keep up with the news, catch up with friends, read articles and to rapidly create events at the click of a button- just as this blog will also be shared instantaneously to the public. In my opinion, as long as we use social media in a way thats not harmful to others, then quite frankly, I don’t see a problem with it. However, the negative effects it has on the way we work as a society and interact with one another vexes me and makes me think about what the world would be like in the future.
For me, social media is undoubtedly ingenious and also scary at the same time. It can be used for good and bad and in this respect, it is one of the most powerful tools in our lives. I use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to mainly stay in contact with friends and family who are just sadly too far away to meet up for a simple coffee. Facebook has also recently released the incredibly handy and versatile app- Messenger. It allows us to text, phone and video call any Facebook friends for free. I am a student, therefore I’m going to jump at the idea of anything that saves me money and boy, has it. It has undeniably reduced my phone bill, which my parents are very jubilant about. Not only does Facebook enable me and my friends to keep updated about each other, it also is a great way of organising meetings and sharing special occasions in our lives with one another. This is a feature of social media that I absolutely adore. Most of my family live in Australia and Sri Lanka and I constantly do miss out on family weddings, birthdays and new members of the family being born. Therefore, social media gives me the opportunity of at least seeing photos of my family and the joyous moments in their lives- it helps me feel like I’m at least a little part of it. One of the other beauties of social media is that it makes you aware of the events that other friends may be attending in your area and thus, making it easier for you to spend time with each other at an event, concert or party.
We must not forget about the other social media sites that are evidently popular amongst us. Instagram is a unique site that bases its purpose on photos and videos. This is great as it allows people to promote projects, share holidays snaps, encourage people to start a new sport, live more healthily or even ask opinions on what dress to wear out? What I have found is that, social media platforms such as this can have, at times, the same effect as magazines with regards to promoting false ideals of beauty. I am a person who does read magazines (well, I love reading) but I constantly find flipping past the pages of glamorous, flawless models quite a laborious task. It just makes me question the way I look and feel, and this sadly does also happen with Instagram. As a result, I am very persnickety about the people I follow and the photos I upload.
As time passes and technology evolves, I dolefully do notice in myself and others, the increasing reliance on social media and ergo technology. Social media is astonishingly easy to become addictive to- checking on it turns into almost an impulse. This is what worries me. Being glued to our mobiles, laptops or tablets mean that we do miss out on what is right in front of us. This could be witty conversations with friends in that break between lectures, the chance to appreciate the breath-taking view as we travel on a train through the countryside or time with family at the dinner table. Social Media is not going to disappear anytime soon, you can just simply replay it or read it over whenever. Time with loved ones or watching your children grow up- thats something that can not be replayed. So do try to put your phones aside. The news, photos and statuses bombarding your account will always be there but your family and loved ones may not.
The solution is simple but may not be simple to do- try not to use social media unnecessarily. We should use it in moderation, just like everything else in life. In this way, we can reap the benefits of both social media and our actual lives. One thing is certain, I don’t want to look back when I’m 80 years old and think that I missed out on life because I was hooked on a website or app- now that would be idiotic. It would be a very boring story to tell the Grandchildren too.
