Social media is a blessing and has given people infinite opportunities. Today it seems that everything is centered around logging onto some sort of social media and instantly being updated on the latest events. It is amazing that we are able to lose touch with our best friend but later reconnect from thousands of miles away through Facebook or an Instagram post. Something that is not amazing is that fact that I am also updated on what people had for breakfast, their tenth post about going to the gym and how much they hate being stuck in traffic. Like, we get it, everyone must know every aspect of your life, or else it doesn’t matter, right?
I will be the first to admit that I love posting on twitter and tweet at least a few times a day. I love being able to look at my phone and see what awesome things people are up to, but sometimes enough is enough. I do not think I am the only one who rolls their eyes when people have a 500-second Snapchat story. In reality, we do not even need to attend events anymore because people will have a snap story of it from 15 different angles. How can people make memories and take in every moment when they are just snapping everything?
Without social media, I would not be able to post this, I would not be able to get my thoughts out into the world and spread a message. But what message are people spreading when they are constantly posting about fights with their significant other or opening up about all their personal problems for the world to see? I believe that we should be posting about our accomplishments, thoughts, or just random things that pop into our heads. Not about finance, private issues and things that are inappropriate for other people to know. People who air out their dirty laundry online have their followers scratching and shaking their heads and then they are shocked that people gossip about them.
It's absolutely bizarre that these days when you have something new to tell someone their only response is usually “I know!” They already know. Because it has been posted online by you or someone else. There are no secrets, no surprises. We alienate ourselves from each other in the way that there is nothing left to talk about because most of our personal lives are public. There is no longer a need for conversation and inquiry if every single thing we do is seen and watched anyway.
I would rather no one know what I am up to than have every piece of my life on a screen for everyone to see. It's called a “personal life” for a reason - certain things should remain inside your head, or at least just between you and whoever it involves, not for all of your followers to see. You can call me old school, secretive, or just plain blunt, but I truly do not care about every aspect of your life. I take pride in my private life. Sometimes it's better to keep things to yourself, whether they are good or bad. Social media can be a blessing and a curse, but it's up to its users to be smart about what they post. If you don’t care about someone’s personal business other than for gossiping reasons, chances are they don’t care about yours either. Be smart about what you post.
