With all social media taking over the world, it is easier to look someone up and basically look at their entire life through a screen. Everyone is curious about other people. Back when the last generation was growing up, if they wanted to get to know someone they approached them with a "hello". As children, we did this as well. Not when ever someone wants to get to know someone. They don't talk to them, or ask them what they want to know.
Almost everyone has Facebook, or Snapchat, or Instagram. It is very rare that someone does not have one form of social media. I bet you your grandmother has a Snapchat.
When you're talking to your friends about someone, where is the first place you go to show them a picture? Instagram. Facebook.
"She has a big nose." "He is too short." "OMG! She looks likes she's rude!" Don't tell me you didn't have these thoughts while looking at someone's account. That is a huge thing with people now. We look at someone's profile to understand what kind of person they are. Instead of actually meeting them and getting to know them. We judge way too quickly.
First impressions don't exist anymore. We don't give people that chance, we don't get to know their personality. We get to know what they post. Actually talking to someone is a lot different than talking about them. On the first day of a new school, you didn't have social media to see who went there. You got to know them on the playground, at lunch and in classes. College was not like that. Everyone has their social media pages. College students get their first impressions from a profile picture.
College was way different when social media wasn't an issue. If you had an issue, you went to the person and solved it. Now you text someone to yell at them, and yet do not say a word to each other in person. Congratulations, you are a keyboard warrior. You fend for yourself from behind the screen. If you talk to someone about an issue, I promise it will go a lot better. You might actually have a friend after the fight. Usually, you say stuff you would never have the balls to say when you text. Try it in person. It might work out for you in the long run.
Isn't staring at someone's account for hours called stalking? What happens when you meet the person and you already know that they had a dog named Sparky that died six years ago? I can tell you now you will not be engaged in the conversation. Don't stalk them on Facebook. Get to know their stories, and actually make connections with them. Making friends is all about getting to know a person, not getting to know what they post on social media. And it is stalking, and quite frankly, it's weird.
Put down the phone. Get to know someone before you start stalking their life on social media.
