Social media has become ingrained in American culture and into our lives. We pretty much can't live without it. It has brought a lot of good because it allows us to connect with others and use our voices to drive conversations and debates further.
Social media, however, is also a landscape that allows people to exploit their vices or, as some would call it, sins. Too often has the negative impact of social media outweigh the positive. As Shakespeare wrote: The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.
As we all know, there are 7 deadly sins: Sloth, Lust, Envy, Greed, Wrath, Pride and Gluttony.
What if I told you that there is an app you use on a daily basis that is making you exercise one of those sins?
As they say, "the road to hell always begins with good intentions." Here is the social media equivalent to all 7 deadly sins:
1. Envy - Facebook
Facebook is THE ultimate stalking site. People are capable of stalking their exes or crushes by looking at photos and information they leave on their Facebook profile. People who obsess on others want to know about the person they're obsessed with as much as possible to the point of knowing what they've done on any given day.
2. Wrath - Twitter
The President has turned the wrath of Twitter into an art form. People usually don't go on Twitter to tweet about how much fun they're having with something, they go tweet about their frustrations about life and difficult situations they're in. The pure-hearted are most vulnerable in the Twitterverse as they're naked to the slings and arrows of exhaustingly insecure internet trolls. With all due respect to the good of it, the world would probably be a better place without Twitter.
3. Greed - Linkedin
Linkedin is probably the best app in the world. It's tremendously beneficial to a young adult building a resume and their career. It allows them to structure a career profile and make connections with others within industries worldwide. People who know you can endorse your skills and help move your career forward.
That being said, what's the main motivation for going on Linkedin? Greed. Greed for more opportunities. For more connections. For more money. As Gordon Gecko said: "Greed Is Good." While greed may be good in the business world, it's still the same sin of greed.
4. Sloth - Netflix
I love Netflix. I live for Netflix. I would pay for Netflix even if it only featured BoJack Horseman. But Netflix has also created massive sloth throughout America. Binge-watching was once considered an unhealthy way of watching TV, and now it's the norm! People, couples, and families can spend an entire day doing nothing but Netflix and Chill (A phrase that's meaning has changed completely already.)
5. Gluttony - Yelp
The sin of gluttony is defined as the over-consumption of goods and services. It's considered terrible because you waste goods that you didn't need and could have given them to someone who did.
Anyone can go on Yelp so it's not like people are taking away the opportunity to let someone else use the app, but Yelp has a resemblance to gluttony because people using it are constantly exploring and searching for restaurants and services on it.
"Did I go to that one restaurant already?" "What other places are there to eat?" "What other hotels are in that town?" "Is this cook or hostess good enough?" Yelp partially exploits a person seeking mass consumption.
6. Pride - Instagram
Unlike Facebook, Instagram has limitations in the amount of content to post. The maximum amount of pictures you can put on a single post is 10, and that benefit was only put in place last year. So with the restrained amount of pictures to display, you have to put up the ones that mean the most to you and have importance.
Those the pictures you take PRIDE in. The images, relationships, or moments that mean the most to you. Pride is probably the most used and popular sin in the world since it's a key part of a person's public identity. People tend to forget however, that pride is still a sin.
7. Lust - Tinder
Nuff said.
