I will be the first one to admit that I spend a great deal of time on my phone; maybe even an alarming amount of time. Besides using it for its intended purpose — namely, contacting people — I also use it as a source of entertainment and for work-related reasons. Honestly, I could not expect to be in the field of journalism without frequently using my phone. However, it goes further than that for what appears to be a growing amount of people. Now, people are using their phones to document every moment of their lives, including the moments that should best be left to the discretion of those directly involved. Nonetheless, the latest incidents on the news remind me that we are not only living in a time where people are finding it easier to overshare, but also in a time when people are losing touch with reality.
If you are still unsure what I am talking about, I am referencing the teen who was live streaming what ended up being a deadly car crash, and also the group of Florida teens who taunted a drowning man, capturing their actions on a phone. To say that both of these incidents disgusted me would be a gross understatement. I was appalled to learn that the teens in the latter incident may not be criminally charged for their actions — or rather, inaction. As we see these absurdly horrific scenarios occur more frequently around the country, I started to wonder what can possibly make these teens check out of reality and think that their actions will not have consequences to them, or others around them. I came to realize that it boils down to one simple factor: attention.
Everyone is so consumed with being the center of everyone’s attention, whether in person or on the internet. When that happens, reality and the "reality" that we have built on our phones start to become difficult to distinguish. YouTubers get paid when their videos go viral and if you tweet about something important, chances are that your words will go viral as well. Everyone is looking for the right combination of words or the right “spontaneous action” that will shoot them into becoming the next internet meme that they are willing to sacrifice anything; even another’s life. Also, people are quick to write off young people as the only ones to blame. While young people are likely more engaged on different types of social media, age is hardly the same factor that it once was in similar scenarios. More and more, we see people of all ages using social media to project themselves or their families. Even when it is a lighthearted video, like one of a baby who will not stop laughing or a dog who is standing on its hind legs, these are not the only videos out there. People of all ages live stream attacks and shooting sprees now. Although these types of videos are by no means comparable in terms of their nature, it shows that when social media assumes such an integral role in a person’s life, it can easily become a person's entire life. When that happens, it is not necessarily a far leap before it is toxic and used as a weapon, rather than as an enjoyable pastime.
My article will not end here with the message, “Stay away from social media.” It is not realistic, and it also is not necessary. When you use social media, it can be a great tool to enhance your life. The trick is knowing when you are becoming too obsessed with your online reality that you forget that there are actual lives on the other side of the screen.