Bombardment Through Social Media

As most people do, I frequently use social media as a method of communication, posting pictures of my adventures, or simply passing the time by scrolling through Instagram or Twitter. Among all the pictures and posts by our friends and family, we somehow get pictures and long rants about some new movie or TV show that just came out. Riddle me this: if I am not interested in the new show or movie that’s being advertised, why do I have it shoved in my face so often and so brutally?

I know that I may sound a bit old fashioned when I say this, but it’s true. The media continuously bombards us with ridiculous Snapchat filters and ads that we have to watch before we can skip with three seconds left, instead of pushing the real issues of the world into focus and coming up with solutions.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat as much as any young adult does. I just wish that I didn’t have to see six ads about the new season of "Orange is the New Black" when I don’t even watch the show. Even though I don’t watch the show and never have, I can pretty much tell you what happens in the new season based on posts that I’ve seen. However, I won’t drop any spoilers to the fans out there.

As annoying as it is to me, I understand why social media is packed with ads and videos, since it is the best way to relay information about new events and creations. This puts me in a difficult position on how I feel about it. Trust me when I say that I love to see awesome new medical advancements and other cool inventions or shows that have come out, but, more often than not, I find much of what I see a nuisance and very frustrating.

In saying all of this, I’m not attempting to bash any new shows and movies or those who enjoy them, I’m just expressing my discontent for social media’s incessant distracting strategy of throwing things in my face. Although I understand that there is no real way of avoiding these advertisements and videos without deleting all social media apps and avoiding them at all times, I do believe that we, the users, should have a say in what we see.

I won’t quit using social media just because myself and my generation have every type of media jammed down our throats on a daily basis. It’s too intertwined with our lives, so we can’t get rid of it. On top of that, companies are utilizing our generational addiction to profit off of their new products, movies, and shows that only further distract us. Not only is that a serious issue, it’s rather annoying to know that I can do nothing about it by myself.

As I have said before, this article is not meant to poke fun at new shows and those who watch them or any other type of new product that has emerged. Instead, its purpose is simply to call attention to the continuous bombardment of advertisements and products that everyone experiences from direct or indirect contact to any kind of social media.

I’m tired of clicking on articles and expecting to read about medical advancements or the ways in which we can improve the world we live in as a whole, then having to wait through a 10 second trial of a game that isn’t fun. Let’s tackle the real issues in the world and make those a topic of interest, instead of advertising the new season of "OITNB" every five tweets and through advertisements that we can’t skip.