5 Reasons Why I Hate Social Media | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

5 Reasons Why I Hate Social Media

1735
5 Reasons Why I Hate Social Media
William Iven

I can remember the day I finally convinced my mom to let me make a Facebook page. Since then, I have dabbled in almost every form of social media.

Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr.

You name it and I probably have it.

The expansion of the Internet has drastically changed our culture, and in most ways, the impact has been positive.

However, looking around at my friends and examining my own life, I can’t help but notice the barriers that social media has created. Isn’t it ironic that the very thing that was created to expand and encourage better communication has been the very thing that has stunted the growth of true community?

Here are five reasons I sort of hate social media.

1. It discourages the display of emotion during in-person encounters.

Whenever something tragic happens to someone, people flock to social media to express their support. They “like” a prayer page or post a heartfelt status message. What I find interesting is that the same person who can show support hiding behind a computer screen would never once show support if they passed the person in a Walmart aisle or saw them three pews in front of them at church. You can not hear tone, see facial expressions, or feel the assuring touch of a friend through a wall post or tweet. Our online interactions are devoid of emotion and completely meaningless. How many times have you typed "haha" or "LOL" and not even been laughing? It's all fake. Consequently, in-person encounters have become awkward. So, when we're talking to someone in person, we don't know how carry on conversation because we're used to having as much time as we want to type out our responses. We're no longer comfortable with showing real, raw emotion in front of others and social media has provided an outlet for us to be emotional while remaining hidden.

2. Social media encourages bullying and cowardice.

I'll tell you, people are mean these days and I think social media plays a key role. Social media has given people license to feel free to say anything they want because their identity is no more than their profile picture. Celebrities probably fall victim to these Internet trolls more than anyone, but I’ve seen it between friends, too. People go online just to tear others apart, but they would never say anything so hateful face-to-face. Apparently, any insult goes when you’re just another Facebook member. Social media has made cowards out of people. I believe the rule, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all," still stands in the World Wide Web.

3. Social media spreads false information and makes people misinformed.

My favorite thing to watch is when there's a big news break and all the satire news sites start writing obviously comedic articles about the story with skewed facts. Then, people share them thinking they’re legit. A Wordpress blog page is not factual. Neither is a page for just conservatives or just liberals. They are biased and will post anything to further their agenda, true or not. If a reputable news site hasn't published it, it is complete malarkey. Social media has become infected with this garbage and, unfortunately, many are gullible enough to eat up every word. We've become misinformed, which affects how we few others, the decisions we make, and overall, gives us an image of ignorance.

4. Social media lowers productivity.

I’m pretty sure if we could all know how much time we spend staring at a screen, scrolling through our news feeds, we would be disgusted with ourselves. Social media is like a black hole that sucks you in with its pointless video loops, political debates, and the hundreds of vacation pictures that you don’t actually care about (but you look at anyway). Next thing you know you’ve been looking at it for an hour and you’ve accomplished nothing and you’ve gained nothing.

5. Social media is full of negativity.

There have been several occasions where I’ve gone without Internet access for a week and those were the best weeks of my life. I don’t think most of us realize it, but the Internet drags us down. Yeah, there’s the occasional sweet video or the happy posts from your close friends about engagements, babies, or weddings, but for the most part social media sites are battle zones. Facebook is basically a pot full of drama and since most people don’t understand the meaning of a filter, they post everything they think of. A friend once said, "You know, when Facebook asks, 'What's on your mind?', you should ignore it." Between all the crazy things happening in our world, to all the people who feel the need to give their two cents on everything that's happening in our world, social media leaves me exhausted. I just need some peace sometimes and I can't seem to find it on my news feed.

What are your thoughts on social media? Has it added more positivity or negativity to your life?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
an image of taylor swift standing center stage surrounded by her backup dancers in elegant peacock esque outfits with a backdrop of clouds and a box rising above the stage the image captures the vibrant aesthetics and energy of her performance during the lover era of her eras tour
StableDiffusion

A three-and-a-half-hour runtime. Nine Eras. Eleven outfit changes. Three surprise songs. Zero breaks. One unforgettable evening. In the past century, no other performer has put on an electric performance quite like Taylor Swift, surpassing her fans ‘wildest dreams’. It is the reason supporters keep coming back to her shows each year. Days later, I’m still in awe of the spectacle ‘Miss Americana’ puts on every few days in a new city. And, like one of Taylor’s exes, has me smiling as I reminisce about the memories of the night we spent together.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

80926
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

8853
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments