I didn't write this article to get into the "Does social media have a positive or negative effect on society?" discussion, as I'm pretty sure that was one of my SAT practice exam questions, and I'm not in the mood to revisit those days. However, I instead decided to stop and imagine what my life would be like without social media. I think it would be vastly different. The other day, I began to think about the effect that social media avenues like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook have had on my life. I explained to my mom, who still texts with one finger (bless her heart), the advantages of having an Instagram account in addition to a Facebook account. She said after I finished showing her a typical Instagram post that the app seems like a personal marketing site, and I immediately understood what she meant...and will have to say that I agree.

In contemplating my life without my various social media accounts, I began to imagine how different I would be if I didn't have them. Would I be more or less creative without the inspiration that I get from foodies, fitness gurus, and fashionistas on Instagram? Would I keep in touch with as many people as I do now? Would I know what I know about politics, entertainment, and other cultures? Most importantly to me is, though, would I be a better version of myself? Would I have used the many hours that I have spent in total scrolling through pictures on a small screen to do something more productive? Then there comes the question of, is this, (balancing the virtual reality with pure reality), just what it's like to live in the new age of modern communication?

I had a conversation with my Communication class a few months ago regarding "I - Thou" relationships. The term "I -Thou relationship", coined by the famous 20th century author and philosopher, Martin Buber, refers to a momentous connection between two beings that causes them to be on such a similar wavelength that they almost become one. Deep. But it basically means a good relationship, romantic or platonic, where you feel as though the other is on the same page as you--so great that it almost creeps you out. Bringing the focus back to social media, my class members and I came to discuss the fact that our generation is accused readily of being "communication lazy," and that we may be at risk of losing appreciation for true "I-Thou" relationships due to technology's role in communication. The question that my class members and I debated was can we have "I- Thou" relationships on social media? Can heart-felt comments shared by survivors and well-wishers on Humans of New York accounts and match-making websites count as "I- Thou" relationships? Is our generation redefining what an "I-Thou" relationship is so that we do not need to be physically in the presence of another human in order to have such a profound connection? Or have we lost the ability to have "I-Thou" relationships as a whole? I believe that we still need to be in the presence of others to have "I- Thou" relationships, and that the version of myself that I put forth on social media can never compare to the person that I am in-person.

The world is putting its best foot forward on social media. We create accounts on multiple sites at once to be able to highlight ourselves in our best light to as many viewers as possible. We share our likes and dislikes and become cultured by viewing what our friends have to share but are only viewing what comes to us after hundreds of edits. There is no replacement for the look on another's face when they watch or read what emotionally effects them, and a comment is a secondhand response. I enjoy following closely the wit and glamour that have come along with Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat culture and most definitely participate in it as well, but, at the same time, I still would like to see what it was like to be my age when my mom was. I want to see what I (without my virtual clone) would be like. Would I have more "I-Thou" relationships and have more profound connections than I do now? I'll never know and obviously I enjoy the modern tech life because I'm here writing this article, but it doesn't hurt (and may even help) to wonder.