We all have it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr. But is social media actually affecting our social lives?

I will be the first to admit that I love social media. I have it all and I'm always connected. However, I've been thinking about dropping a couple of the accounts. Why? I noticed that I'm sometimes too involved in my own social media that I forget to actually be social and talk to friends.

We live in the age of social media. It’s been accepted that almost everyone has it now and businesses are really using it to their advantage nowadays to expand their network and also stay in touch with their customers. College students are even being recruited specifically for their social media skills and ability to use it. However, nowadays social media has become abused by young people and even some older adults. We have become too involved in our social media game and tend to only focus on what on we are going to post next. As Jane Beckingham states, “So many women treat life as a constant status update. They’re thinking about how their lives look instead of how their lives feel.”

One of the biggest problems with social media is that we are constantly in each other’s lives. We don’t take a step back to go out and live and then call our friends and family at the end of the night to talk about it. Instead we are constantly updating our lives so everyone can see. As my sister told me, she was always in check with her friends that she would forget to actually call and check up on them herself. This has become a problem in many of our everyday lives. As young people, we too often forget that our lives exist outside of social media and sometimes it’s best to put down our phones and go out and live. 

Hanging out with friends has also become a tedious task due to cell phones. I make it a point to always put my phone aside or upside down when I’m with someone else. It makes me feel better knowing that the other person has my full attention in a conversation. I would want them to do the same for me and I notice they often follow my example. So be an example and stop worrying about the likes or retweets you get on a status or a picture.

I am personally working on this myself because I know I can get too involved in my social media. This past year I realized that I have become detached from too many worthwhile friendships because I didn’t take the time to actually talk to them and see what was going on in their lives. That’s why I decided to delete my social media apps from my phone so I’m not constantly connected and instead reach out and form real relationships. I challenge others to do this too and see how friendships can transform.