Social networking is using internet-based social media sites/programs to form connections with friends, family, coworkers, clients, etc. At least, that was the intention of social networking. However, in this day and age, social networking has evolved into something completely different, and far from its original purpose.

Being a young adult, and a "millennial," I have grown up with the rise of the social media empire, starting with Facebook and Twitter, and rounding with Instagram and Snapchat. The way I see it, social media is a wonderful way to share ideas, music, photos, and memories with the ones you love. It's a way to reconnect with old friends, and even to make new ones.

While I very much enjoy each of these platforms, I've come to observe a lot of the downfalls, and misuses of them. For example, there are instances where people abuse social media by using it to cyberbully others, anonymous or not. We hide behind our cell phone and laptop screens. When we are given the choice between building others up, or tearing them down, too often we choose the latter. This must end.

In addition, many simply use it as a distraction, which ultimately leads to a lack of productivity as well as laziness. I myself am guilty of this, and I have found that when I spend too much time on my various social networking platforms, I begin to compare my life to others, unfortunately and falsely believing that my life is lesser than another person's, for they are "doing more" or "traveling more," etc. I believe social media is best in moderation; our time on it must be limited. Abusing it is dangerous to our mental health.

Social media has also taken over world in the spectrum of communication. Nowadays, many turn to their Facebook, or their Twitter, or their Snapchat, to interact with their friends. While this is a fun and oh-so convenient way to connect with the ones we love, nothing beats verbal, face-to-face communication. In the modern workplace, effective conversation skills are a must, and mustn't be neglected. We must get our faces out of our screens.

All in all, in my opinion, social media is abused over and over again each and every day. I wholeheartedly hope that one day, we as a human race can return it to its original form, what it was invented for, to kindly connect us to one another.