Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; the list of modern-day social media accounts goes on and on. In today’s society it seems to be almost a crime if you don’t have one, and it sure makes things a lot more complicated when most people find communicating easier through social media. Why is it that most humans feel the need to share their whole lives on social media? Believe it or not, according to Marketing Charts, the average American between the ages of 18–34 spends at least 3.8 hours a day enveloped in their social media accounts. So what’s the obsession?
Unfortunately, a lot of our lives today seem to be consumed in the world of technology. I don’t know about you, but seeing the way humans end up in the Disney-Pixar movie "WALL-E" was enough of a wake-up call for me. Not being able to move because of lack of exercise and being solely dependent on technology is not the direction the world should head in.
The most dismal part about it all is that being interactive on social media means the use of technology is elevated more and more. Don’t get me wrong, the benefits of technology are astronomical and have helped our world grow and develop, but the social aspect related to technology use seems to be more of a downfall. It’s almost a staple in any social situation to follow these steps: Make an entrance, snap photos immediately, post them on social media and all of this before you even say hello to everyone at the gathering.
Not only do we as humans post on social media every time we’re at a social event, but really at any given chance that we can. We post our breakfast that looks delicious on our Snapchat, favorite quote on our Facebook and a throwback photo of a time that no one except ourself could remember, on Instagram. Does everyone really care that much when you do post these things? Probably not, but we do it anyway.
Most of the time, people get so caught up in posting and making it known they are having a good time that they forget to actually have a good time. In the words of Daniel Radcliffe, “It’s an interesting thing: The internet isn’t about having a good time — it’s about showing people you’re having a good time. When you go out to bars and clubs, nobody’s actually dancing or enjoying themselves; they’re all taking photos of themselves at the bar so that later they can say, “I was there, wasn’t it great?” It’s crazy. So in light of that, put your phone away at the next social event you head to. Make some memories with your friends or family. Do this so you have something to remember in 20 years, other than a photo you’ll find buried in your never-ending camera roll on your cellphone.
