You walk on the train, and everyone you see is on their phone. Recently, I saw this picture, or "meme", that shows people from earlier times, all reading newspapers on a bus.
Our generation is looked down upon because we are always on our cell phones. We are either listening to music on Spotify or Tidal, tweeting, snap-chatting, posting pictures on Instagram, or re-blogging posts on Tumblr. Some of us though, are answering e-mails or reading the latest news on social media outlets.
Snapchat has an entire section of different publications that post videos and articles based on the week. Cosmopolitan is one of the more popular "discover" sections. Cosmo posts life-hacks, things you did not know, articles on our favorite celebrities, and so much more. This is just one small tactic used to intrigue people and to give news updates. The thing is, everyone is always on the go. Except for those who give themselves three hours to get ready, no one has time to watch the news for more than two minutes. Too much happens in the world on a daily basis to be fully informed in 120 seconds. Social media has taken over the world in such a short amount of time, that it has become a constant in our lives — whether people like it or not.
How do you communicate with family and friends who you have not seen in years or live far away? Facebook. This is not always the most efficient way to communicate because people forget that you can pick up the phone and give someone a call. Social media is our new hour-long phone calls or Friday night dinner. Do not get me wrong, I am all for social media, but this is the one negative part about it. We forget how to communicate in real life. Next time you are at a party, during the dinner portion, look around and tell me how many people you spot on their phones. Or when you're on the dance floor, some people are more worried about posting themselves dancing on Snapchat, rather than living in the moment.
On to the incredible business-starting and positive side of social media... It allows us to build a brand for ourselves and gain a following. Julieanna Goddard, aka YesJulz, has built her agency brand through gaining hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, where people share, share, share. Julz calls herself the Director of Vibes. She holds parties and events for our generation and brings everyone together. She also partners with well-known famous brands to bring knowledge to our youth today. You are able to post your passions and content with people who share common interests. They can share these posts with their friends. It is a never ending cycle that only results in success — if you do it right. Social media is a business for most people, where they can express their style and day-to-day routine to an audience, big or small, who are interested.
Social media is the outlet for us to catch up with old friends, listen to music, watch dancer's killing it at their latest class, find new sweet desserts to make, find out the latest news that occurred in the city while we were asleep, and everything else. The only difference from old times to the present day is that we are updated through technology. There is always a necessary break needed from my phone, in order to just appreciate the day. But the reality is that social media will always be there. I see nothing wrong with that, and if anything, it is worthwhile due to the outlets allowing children, and even adults, to learn how to use technology. Everyone needs it because it is the world we live in today.
