Everywhere you turn people are on their cell phones, iPad's, and laptops. The technology frenzy is only growing and although it does have it's benefits, the true downside with these systems are social media platforms. Social networking has been around for awhile, in just a different form. You probably had an AOL username where you would chat with friends after school. This one may be before my time, but BBS; short for Bulletin Board System was used in the work place for meetings and used as a central system for downloading files or games. These were the infant years for mass media. The internet boomed when Facebook, Twitter and MySpace were created. But the real issue was when these platforms became "fourth screen" technology, moving their way to smart phones and tablets and inevitably changing the way we communicate with one another.
In this day in age, almost everyone has an Instagram account or a Twitter. Even my mid-life crisis family members are liking my latest Insta pics and trying to follow me on Twitter. Sorry, not going to happen Aunt Mary. It's crazy to imagine a time when we weren't on our phones passing time by scrolling through the latest feed. Back in high school I didn't even have a iPhone, and that was only four years ago! So much improvement and involvement with media has occurred in those four years, but one thing that has heightened my dislike for all this social buzz is the way it portrays life and our living abilities.
Four years ago I didn't have a smartphone to constantly stare into. I didn't have an Instagram account to post pretty pictures and hope for likes. I didn't have a Snap chat to follow all my friends and celebrities and get a view of their perfect lives. And to be completely honest, it was the best time. Social media on smartphones was just crowning back in 2012 and I had never been a tech savvy person, so it didn't bother me that I had my Samsung fakeberry. If I wanted to talk to friends, I would call or text them or even better, hang out with them in person! It was so refreshing to not feel tied down to anything through a screen. Although I watch TV and flip through magazines, it doesn't have the same pressure effect like the apps on our phones do.
Becoming "Instagram famous" solely based on having a nice body or being able to apply makeup really well does actually take a toll on women. I never questioned my self as much has I have since social media has expanded. Checking these systems regularly throughout my day and feeling as though I have to keep up with the times has hurt my self-appreciation. Instead of accepting my own reality, I have found myself dwelling in a hole of desire to have a life like the virtual world we have all become accustomed to consume.
Social media has subconsciously embedded this fear in me of posting a bad picture or tweeting something that isn't clever or funny. It has created the informal apprehension of FOMO (fear of missing out) leading you to believe that since you saw awesome snap chat videos you must have missed the party of the year. A significant part of me has become insecure due to all the apps, filters, hashtags and likes that we all so desperately crave for. Social media has also been the root of cyber bulling and even suicides. It's easy for others to hide behind a mean comment or harass someone for being different. This generation has accepted that it's okay to have this occur because everyone uses social media, but it wasn't created to destroy confidence and lives.
Social networking platforms are only expanding so we need to note of their advantages, but also the disadvantages and be aware and kind to one another. After all, behind those screens lie actually human beings with real life feelings.
