There's no denying the fact that social media is shaping our world and the ways that we interact with one another. Nearly everyone is on social media in some capacity. Middle school kids are logged onto Instagram and Snapchat, high school and college students are tweeting their every thought, businessmen and women are using LinkedIn, and seemingly EVERYONE is on Facebook now--even your grandma. It's a communication revolution, no doubt, but the concept of social media tends to freak people out. While people college-aged and under have grown up in this world of social media, the generations that came before are in uncharted territory.
Questions arise. Is social media hurting real, face-to-face communication? Are people, especially young people, relying on "likes," "shares," and "retweets" to boost their self-esteem? Does our entire sense of self-worth come from social media? Has this digital alternate reality replaced the world that we live in? Are we living two lives?
These are legitimate questions and concerns, and I think that, in some cases, the answer to these questions is "yes." However, I also think that many people don't fully understand that the immense power that social media has in our society can also be used for good. As someone who is a bit of a social media guru and hopes to one day work in social media marketing, I encourage you to look at the other side of the coin, especially if you are someone who finds themselves asking the questions raised in the previous paragraph.
The key to understanding the benefits of social media comes from the understanding that social media is not intended to replace the world we live in or the relationships we share with humans--it is intended to enhance these things. Sure, we can choose to view social media as an avenue of communication where we sit, closed-off, in our rooms all day, communicating with hundreds of people, while never seeing a human face. We can choose to use it that way. We can choose to isolate ourselves from the world while living the lie that we are very "connected." But that's not what social media is intended to do. Instead, we must understand that social media is there to connect us when we are not face-to-face. Social media allows us to be connected with friends who we no longer live near us. It allows us to continue to share life with people who we may not be able to see every day. It allows us to share life when we can't physically share life. But in order to share life, we must live life. If we aren't out living life to the greatest potential, we cannot be sharing it adequately through social media. Go live life. And then allow social media to keep you connected to people while you do so.
Social media allows us to connect in ways we never would have had the chance to. For example, I can communicate with my favorite actors and TV shows and musicals in unprecedented ways. You may never be able to attend a monologue rehearsal at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but through Facebook Live, you can see what it's like to be there. You may never be able to snag tickets to Hamilton: An American Musical, but you can head to Twitter and gain insight into the show that you may not even have access to sitting in the audience. You may not be able to meet the voices of Pentatonix, but you can see what they're up to on Instagram and Snapchat. There are literally teams of people out there making these opportunities happen. Sure, this isn't the experience of being at shows or meeting people, but it's getting us closer than we were before.
Social media allows us to spread joy. Sure, there is the concern that social media is simply a tool for comparison, but there is the potential for social media to be a straight up party of joy, round-the-clock. I know what you're thinking--"I'm not sure that Facebook argument between my cousin and uncle and mom was what I'd call a 'party of joy'..."--and I feel you. Regarding politics, here's all I'll say: I think we can use social media to learn from each other, but that only works if we don't unfriend/unfollow people solely because we can't handle their "overly conservative/liberal views." Social media can be a really cool tool to use in politics, but only if we use it with respect. We don't have to use social media to constantly argue with one another. Share joy. Share love. Share happiness.
Social media can be a powerful tool for good, but only if we use it correctly. If we don't understand the good that can come from social media, that good won't come. So here's my challenge: Enjoy the people and world around you and love social media for the beautiful tool it is. Use it wisely. Connect people with love. Our world is at a really cool point--we have these tools. Use them for good. Enhance the world in which you live.
