Social Media

 Social media is a blessing and a curse. To me, it’s a normal part of life. I grew up when social media just came out and slowly integrated it into my life, one platform at a time. It was a way for me to explore my curiosity and connect with others. It was also a collection of my memories over the past 10 years. That aspect was great! The downfall for me is that social media became an addiction. The first thing I do when I wake up is check Facebook and Instagram. I spend hours of my day consuming nonsense videos and looking for the tea in comments on peoples’ posts.  I can’t really say if social media has caused me to become a more socially withdrawn person or not. I don’t really remember having too many friends when I was younger. I was always shy and to myself. I’m sure it has impacted my face to face contact on some level though. The thing I like about social media is that I can choose to disconnect at anytime and cease interaction as I see fit. I like having that control. It’s not always that easy to cease interactions with others in daily/in person life. I think the best way to look at social media is by thinking of it as a tool. It can be informative and a great way to unwind during a stressful time (since it kind of allows you to temporarily check out of reality), but it can also be consuming. When you stay in a fantasy world for too long, that world becomes your reality. It can be a perilous trap. Social media offers this instantaneous gratification upon posting and scrolling. You post a picture and you get likes. Your phone sends you a notification that tells you that someone liked your post and it sucks you back in. The algorithms of social media are made to capture your attention and keep it. It feeds you content that you are interested in and consumes you. It’s like a high. This high is addicting, and when people aren’t getting the feedback or the attention they want, they often turn to unhealthy strategies to regain that desired attention. Clout chasing is a big one. This was super prevalent in group 1’s movie, “Not Okay”. Danni took it too far by saying she was a survivor of a terrorist attack. She photoshopped herself in photos to appear as if she were in Paris, where the tragedy occurred. She did this at the expense of other’s who had actually lost someone in the tragic event. By doing so, she did receive the attention and desired work position she was looking for. However, after she made up the lie, she had to stick with it. That part did seem to take a major toll on her because she was feeling remorseful after she realized the extent of her actions and the impact it had on others. Not remorseful enough to come clean on her own though. When she was threatened about exposure, she had to come clean. Another point I want to touch on in lieu of Danni’s decision to come clean, is the consequences she faced afterwards. Social media can be incredibly ugly. Once she revealed to the world that she was a fraud, her life was completely destroyed. It followed her into the real world. She was cyber bullied. She was receiving death threats. Her address was purposefully leaked to the internet. She was a celebrity for all the wrong reasons. Even when she disconnected from social media, she was recognizable to the world. That is the harsh reality of social media. It can go bad. It can be dangerous. It can negatively affect you mental health. Think about all of the young people in this world who’s brain is still developing. Being exposed to cyberbullying, unrealistic body/beauty standards; it’s a big weight to bear. Thousands upon thousands of kids, teens, and adults are committing suicide due to the harmful impacts of social media. This is exponentially prevalent in teens specifically. This aspect was one of the major cons listed in one of the readings. This post did take a dark turn, and I don’t want to end on that note. I do want to touch on some benefits of social media before I conclude. Social media is a source of information. When cross referenced and confirmed, social media can be a great educational tool. It can inspire creation. It is source of community and does offer a sense of belonging. It’s a great marketing tool as well! As stated before, Social media doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It’s an available tool. We can choose how to use it, and when used right, it can be an asset.