There are so many social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, WeChat, and a whole lot more. Surely, most people are using one, two, or more of these social media.
What is Social Media? And What is its Purpose?
Social media, as it is called, is a medium of communication by the use of computers, tablets, or smartphones. In layman’s language, it is a way to communicate with one another in real-time (or as of the present moment).
Social media has many uses in today’s world. It is mainly used as a personal medium to communicate with one another by “posting” thoughts, ideas, or opinions. Many businesses also use it as a way to communicate with internal employees and customers or clients. It is used to educate, to propagate, to advertise, promote, and a whole lot more.
Benefits of Social Media
I believe that social media has many benefits. Its emergence has enhanced the art of communication. It has given us more opportunities to learn, to be aware, and to be informed. However, I also believe that although it is a sign of global progress, it has also deteriorated our society in general.
What It Has Done to Society
Nowadays, it seems like no one knows how to communicate in a more personal manner. It is now more challenging to express our thoughts face to face, and we rely so much on sending a text, posting on a profile, or “tweeting.” Things that are supposed to be communicated in person are now being done in an impersonal means, making some crucial issues trivial or insignificant.
Social Media has also given society a sense of “perfectionism.” We want to see only what is seamless. We picture everything as rosy, beautiful, and flawless. We post photos and videos showing wealth, a complete and happy family, good food, extravagant things, and exotic places.
Envy, Jealousy, Greed
With the sense of “perfectionism,” comes the feeling of envy, jealousy, and greed. We see how perfect our neighbor is as she poses in her social media platform. She is pretty, sexy, rich, and has a loving husband, and smart, obedient children. She is the best cook; she is a gym rat and a super “soccer” mom. There is nothing—absolutely nothing— is wrong with her. So, we begin to envy. We start wanting that kind of life. We want the same attentive, loving husband, and we want that money they have. We become so jealous, so much that we ruin ourselves with the negative, oppressive feelings of ourselves. Then, we begin to assimilate, to copy, and DESIRE to be like them. We try to, as they say, “keep up with the Jones'” even if it means living more than our means. And why? All because we have seen the “perfect” example in social media.
So Very Sad
Very sad, indeed. The social media platforms have given us the feeling of unworthiness, dissatisfaction, and ungratefulness. We have forgotten to be content and thankful for the blessings we have been given. We have also forgotten that not everything you see is what it seems. In his show, Bill Maher once said, “no one is THAT happy.” He may be too negative in his comment, but that is the truth. And, to add to that, “nothing is perfect,” “no one is perfect.”
Keep It Real
Folks, let us be REAL! I am not saying that we should make our skeletons out of the closet, or wash our dirty laundry in public. All I am saying is, “keep it real.” It does not make you less of a person if sometimes you say you are not happy, or that you gained ten pounds, or that you lost your temper and argued with someone. It does not make you invaluable just because you cannot buy expensive clothes and live in a big house. It will not make you ugly if you post your photo without your make-up on, and your character will not be diminished if you admit your less than perfect life.
I like Social Media
Don’t get me wrong. I like social media. For me, it is an outlet. Social media is an outlet for me to share my feelings, opinions, and views on many different things and topics. I can exercise my right to free speech. But, with free speech, there also comes responsibility. The responsibility of owning what I say and the ideas that go along with it. The responsibility of making sure that in exercising my free speech, I do not trample and discriminate anyone based on their culture, color, race, and religious beliefs.
Social Media Influence
The impact of social media on our lives is enormous. It has been a source of different things—money, influence, emotions (positive and negative), way of life, etc. We have depended on it for so many things that we forget to interact on a more human level. We “talk” through and behind our computers, laptops, tablets, and phones. We no longer go out to reach out and talk to someone face to face, hug, kiss, pat someone’s back, hold hands, walk together. We have reduced our interaction down to emojis ☹
Social media had influenced people in thinking that one should walk and talk in a certain way, even if it is wrong. It makes people believe that only those who are beautiful, rich, and influential matter; that if you are not one of those, you have no business living in this world.
Keep It Real (Again!)
Again, let us keep things real. Don’t be afraid to let people see the cracks in your life. Life is not meant to be perfect. That is a FACT. Let us not be disillusioned by the “perfect” life of others that we see in social media. Do not let these make you envious, jealous, and greedy.
I want us to be grounded. I want us to see reality and how we can get through life’s imperfections. That is what we all need. We need to accept things as they are, move past our inadequacies, and JUST KEEP THINGS REAL!
