
It was around 2009 that social media became a part of my life. I joined reluctantly. “Who has 1000 friends they communicate with regularly? It’s just a shallow trend!” was frequently heard uttered by not only myself but others.
I’d seriously underestimated the positive as well as the negative I found there eventually.
The initial intent was to stay in touch with faraway friends and family, but my circle quickly grew to include lost friendships from high school, in-common friends I’d not ever known, and new friends who shared common interests. It was a wide variety of people from all walks of life and which had a wide range of interests that I began to include in my daily life. I can honestly say this brought me a great deal of joy. Adding Twitter and Instagram to the mix allowed me to share with even more people, most of which I’d never met, but they seemed to like what I added to their lives. Hopefully, as much as what they contributed to mine. It turned out to be a good decision to join up on all these platforms.
There were drawbacks, though. The thing which became glaringly obvious was the amount of time one can spend at the computer, phone, or tablet keeping up with all that was shiny and new to see. It may be fascinating, but oh, the time suck!!! There was much left undone in those early days that genuinely needed to get done, and where was I? At the keyboard, of course, looking at the monitor, having fun and interested, and unable to tear myself away because I wanted to read JUST ONE MORE THING! Dishes in the sink, laundry waiting for attention, a dust-filled house crying cleaning – all not considered as necessary anymore because there is something way more interesting going on in the place called the Internet. I’m ashamed to admit it, but early on, that’s what happened.
More and more, I watched social media polluted with a new form of comedy. The news feed streamed a lot of the satire sites, confusing our thinking with content, which was not true but purported to be real. Sometimes it was just that – satire, but so many times it was propaganda pushed onto the masses for an agenda. It was distracting, and in that sense, a time-waster because it required more research to determine whether it was true or not. That was frustrating to me, and many of my friends who were striving for knowledge and accuracy. And it’s discouraging to see so many others who ingested all content they were inundated with as if it were fact.
Personal details about our friend’s lives endear us to them even more with this far-reaching tool, but with anything, when used to manipulate for gain, then it’s a detriment, not beneficial. And so many can’t see it as it’s happening. Drama after drama plays out online, and tugs at heartstrings. The generosity pours out, but sometimes the people are just pawns. It’s sad to see, and devastating to those who succumbed to the deception. Social media has the potential for harm and teaches us to be warier and to be less trusting because of it.
Social media can allow us to feel more anonymous and thereby more confident in the presentation of ourselves to our audience. But some choose to remain anonymous just for the sake of being bold, extremely deprecating, and even insulting to others. It’s like social media has given them the super-power of assholey-ness, and they have a worldwide audience. I’ve talked to many who have had encounters that have left them feeling demoralized, marginalized, angered, and humiliated at times.
I also think having this tool to be more “social” also impacts us more negatively. Information gets to us quicker, but it is more devastating when our constructed social network or our personal ‘community’ is injured more dramatically than ever before. It can escalate or dial-up the drama at a much faster pace, and the negative can ratchet up to unheard-of levels quicker than ever before. The misery of others is the fodder in our everyday news cycle, where previously, it may have taken weeks, months, or not at all to hear the gossip. Now, it’s a laid out on our Newsfeeds. And what a nasty pile-on it can become.
Stepping back, when I evaluate it realistically, social media is just the extended version of real life. All of the things I mentioned above do occur in person to person contact. The only difference is it happens on a much grander scale in the online world. There are more people involved, more interactions, more hype, more distraction, and more drama. It’s helped make our community bigger but in a much different way than we thought it would. Social media is representing life on a larger scale, where it’s become louder and more visible.
Thankfully, we will encounter good individuals in our electronic travels, but people being people, some of them using these platforms will be twat-waffles. Unfortunately, that group will dim the positive impact social media can have on our world.
But isn’t that always the way?
Agree with your thoughts..!!
Social Media gives a voice to both the oppressed and the liars / propagandists. The filters should lie in our heads.
I usually don’t fall for latest “fads” or so called “trends” on social media. Gives the much required peace and time needed to relax or do something which I like.. 😊
A great article by the way.. Thank you Madam for sharing.. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please, call me Susi! Glad you enjoyed the piece, Abir! Yeah, I’m not a big fan of fads or trends. I would rather go my own way. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed, Susi..!! That’s perhaps the best thing to do.. ☺️
You are welcome.. ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like in every thing there is a good and a bad side and like for everything is up to us what y9 do with it and find a balance I suppose….even if it might be easier to say than do🤷🏻♀️
LikeLiked by 2 people
Agreed, Sabina! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
There you go thinking again;) Another layer of “I’ll never really know,” on so many more names that may be real people, but how “real?” It is, though, a version of singing in the shower that we can add to our sandbox/toolbox; even if we use it just for practice for time with face-to-face people relations and communications.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It happens. 😉 All in all, negatives included, it depends on us how we use this tool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your words are what I feel. It has been wonderful, yet a time suck. Well said!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Appreciate it, Ruth! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, involving in social media is good to mind, but it is almost impossible to reach out to all. So I keep connect ing with whom connecting with me. Simple as that. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Because those are the ones who are invested and value us! 🙂 Thanks, Byung!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s the good, the bad and the ugly More good comes from social media, IMHO. We just have to learn how to weed out the rift-raft.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed 🙂
LikeLike
Well said. Social media is real life amplified.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lesleigh!
LikeLike
Social media has become somewhat asocial. It has driven humanity to mobile addiction and enslavement, despair and depression. I fear it will be the downfall of true social interaction.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To a degree, yes. Let’s hope not all is lost.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re right that social media has both positive and negative sides to it like real life but somehow it’s negative impact is more pronounced.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sadje!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome Susi.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Social networking is a way to stay connected but it can also make you feel overwhelmed by the scope of it all. People have figured out its a way to spread information that may or may not be accurate. It’s funny how all this works out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed! But in order to know, it all needs to be tested out.
LikeLike