In the past decade, social media has evolved through technological advances and cultural trends, which has shaped what many people will find on different platforms. In today's world, many people cannot get through the day (let alone a couple hours) without checking their phone to look at a video that has gone viral, or posts their own video or picture for others to see. This occurrence has become a habit that many see as an alternative to boredom. To others,it's becoming a problem, because they feel that social media is programming people, most notably teenagers, to detach from reality and live their lives' online.This situation offers a question many want answered: Has social media pulled people out of reality?
In reality, the quality of a persons' life is often dependent upon their daily routines, and their social engagement with friends or their community. Some people can be looking forward to going to a friends' party on the weekend, because they've been stuck in an office eight hours every day of the week. Other people, however, can be distracted by their everyday obligations because of how difficult or tedious their situation becomes. So, where is the common ground in both of these situations? Simple. People look for an outlet to where they can relieve stress, find comfort, or even have a good laugh to get them through times that become too strenuous. The most convenient outlet is a phone screen, or even a laptop, containing news about a favorite sports team, a musician touring different states, or a group of kids dancing to Ghost Town DJ's 1995 Hit, "My Boo."
There are several different social media apps which have caught the attention of people around the world. These platforms include Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. These platforms all allow their user to upload picture and video content, as well as the ability to follow people from different parts of the world. Many people see this as an opprotunity to get away from the repetition they face in a normal everyday life, while most see it as a way to share moments and times they experience that they never want to let go of. While the intent of the user is often never questioned, it is the amount of users engaging these platforms on a daily basis which creates a topic worth discussing.
Facebook, developed in 2004, was created by Mark Zuckerburg. As of March 2016, Facebook had close to 2 billion active users engaging its' site. Of that number, 1.5 billion users accessed the site from a mobile device or tablet. Instagram, more recently developed in 2010, was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. As of September 22, 2015, Instagram has four hundred million active users, with eighty million pictures shared every day. Snapchat, being the most recently developed app, was created in 2011 by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Murphy. As of 2015, Snapchat has one hundred million active users, gaining 10 billion video views everyday on its' site.
Since the statistics of users engaging a social media site are so staggering, there's a huge chance that the people you know are active members. There is no problem with sharing an important moment, watching funny videos, or letting friends know what you're doing for the day. The problem is spending all of your time on social media and not engaging the people and opportunities around you. So, find a balance between social media platforms and finding productive ways to spend your time. In the end,you do not want to live your life, by always watching other people live their own lives.
