I, as many other of my friends, go on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other forms of social media. I also get to see so many things that catch our interest. In the sudden moment they seem cool, entertaining and fun, but in the long run, we completely forget about them, thinking only of them as “posts” in some far off land. But I, being the efficient person I am, decided to use the “Save” button on a bunch of these sites. This function essentially allows you to save some posts or links of interest and allows you to watch them later. There is only one problem: you never do. No matter how hard you schedule in time, you just won’t. Why? Well, that’s the caveat of social media. The main reason why it keeps you hooked like a fish is because of all the new content the algorithms put out. We humans are attracted to everything that’s shiny and new. It’s not a bad trait to have actually, but for things like social media, it can quickly turn ugly. It’s not your fault either! Instead, think of the fact of all the time you will actually waste on somewhat pedestrian things. A selfie here, a political rant there, funny pictures, celebrity posts, and other things that really could be found elsewhere. Trust me, you won’t miss out on much.
Another reason why many stay attached is for small ego boosts. Let’s admit it, sometimes you post things to not only share with your friends but also rack up a good handful of likes. It’s okay, we want attention, another primal instinct that we just can’t seem to shake off. I ‘fess up and yeah I have done it a couple of times, and sure it has made me happy to see that people are “following” along, but the gratification doesn’t last long. Instead, making a commitment with someone for some coffee or a meal at a dining hall, and chill is worth so much more.
Having the affection of a physical individual, who gives you their undivided attention, than a multitude of people only glancing at an image that they may or may not have appreciated in the short time they observed it, double tapped and scrolled along. Some may think that these ideas are absurd, but think about it. Most of the things that you see on Facebook or Instagram will most likely always be there. The Internet never forgets, and neither do we. Issues will always resurface, memes will always be re-posted, and everyone ends up forgetting about it for a while. That’s just the nature of the Internet. It’s meant to connect in ways never imagined, but then again, it disconnects more somehow.
