Social media has evolved since it first came about in the late ’80s. Internet chat rooms were the first form of social media which allowed users to talk to people who they weren't in direct contact with every day.

Today, social media is being used to stay connected with friends and family, stay informed about current events and meet potential friends who live thousands of miles away.

Social media has expanded into a network allowing you to share ideas while meeting like-minded thinkers. With all the perks of using social media, it’s unfair that millennials get looked down on sometimes for how much time we spend on it.

As a millennial, I can barely remember a time when I wasn’t clutching onto the latest piece of technology everywhere I went. We grew up accustomed to things like the internet and wireless devices, so is it surprising that they have become such an integral part of our everyday lives?

Social media is a lot of bad, but by far the good outweighs that.

You might come across some intense arguments on Twitter about political views or some family arguments on Facebook that should’ve stayed private, but besides that social media is an innovative invention that has helped many expand their minds beyond what physically surrounds them every day.

I can only speak for myself but a lot of what I learned about different cultures that exist within America has come from social media. Interacting with people who belong to these communities, reading their stories and relating to them in many ways though we may also be different in many ways.

Another reason social media has become so prevalent in our everyday lives is because we want to be completely transparent about the lives we lead. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter lets you check-in to wherever you are. Even Snapchat has a way of allowing people to broadcast where they are with the use of geofilters.

And in this aspect, social media becomes fun.

We have a constant fear of feeling left out. If we’re taking part in something that has been deemed cool we document it so that other people will think we’re cool. We want to look fun.

We post photos of ourselves doing fun things with our friends, what foods we’re eating and our latest purchases.

Similarly to staying in the loop with friends, social media was a way for many people to stay informed about the 2016 election season. Social media played an important role in the way candidates were portrayed to the public and played a key a role in the selection of America’s president.

Another benefit of social media is connection amid disaster. Loved ones were able to receive live updates of the safety of their friends during tragedies like the Paris shootings, the Pulse nightclub shooting and even more close to home, the Louisiana floods.

So if all of these things contribute to improving our life, why should we be scolded for so much use? Because sometimes we give it too much power over our lives.

We give in to the internet trolls and let our online presence define who we are as people. Social media is an amazing creation to make life easier but we should remember not to get lost in the deep trenches of online hostility toward ourselves or others.

Take advantage of all the benefits but keep in mind your social media profile never disappears so be mindful of what you’re posting.

Social media is what you make it and it looks like it’s here to stay.