SOCIAL MEDIA AS PART OF OUR DAILY LIVES
Facebook, twitter, YouTube, messenger, instagram, and Tiktok are just a few examples of social media platforms. Facebook helps people to connect with one another. Finding elementary classmates or even long lost relatives has been easier. Communication has been a lot easier and better as well. You can send a message through messenger without paying. You just need load or a stable internet connection. It is easier to talk to your loved ones who live or work abroad. It is also possible to see them through video chat. People become updated to the latest news and happening around the world. YouTube can keep you entertained and teach you new recipes or home workouts. Just one click with google and your assignment can be done in no time. There’s no need to go to the library to research. You can even purchase items online and have your food delivered at your door.
Classes and meetings are done online. Paying the bills and making bank transactions are also done online. There’s no need to step out of the comfort of your home. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most people stay at home to study and work. Worship services are also being live streamed. Selling items online via live streaming became the new trend. If you’re a businessman, you no longer need a physical store. If you are a customer, you can search the name of the store and purchase the items that you need. Clothes, shoes, accessories and even gadgets are available. Online stores are everywhere. Even the best places to go to are found online. If you need a doctor you can have an online consultation. You will just go to the hospital for needed laboratory tests. It’s also easy to track someone’s whereabouts because it is posted online.
You can be updated even without newspaper. You can follow your favorite actor or actress online. You can listen to music without interruptions. There’s no need to go to cinemas to watch movies. You can just sit on the couch and watch it on Netflix. There’s no need to go out and tire yourself. You just need an internet connection, a phone or laptop then browse. You feel more connected and things become more convenient for you. Everything is digitized that you feel like you can’t last a day without it. You tend to always think about it even when real people are with you.
Life is a lot different than how it used to be before the advancement of technology. Everything became instant and one click away. As this positive feedbacks and changes happen, so does the risk of getting harmed. Since anyone can access the internet, false news are a lot easier to spread. Hating and hurting someone by posting or commenting on a picture, post or video is also a problem to deal with. Many accounts are being hacked. Your personal information had also been vulnerable and easily accessed by anyone. You tend to accept a strangers friend request. You chat with them and share information about yourself. It is like giving free access to your life.
Instead of building communication with other people, you tend to love your persona online. You desire to be someone online. You slowly lose your identity for wanting to follow the trend. When there is a get together you choose to keep yourself busy with your phone. Instead of eating the food you ordered, you will take a picture of it then post it online.
With this being said, you also tend to compare yourself to others more often. When people post about the items they purchase, you feel inferior to them. When a new house or car has been posted by a friend you feel like wanting the same thing. If not the same, you want something better. In instagram when photos are uploaded, you want to upload the same photo as well. In social media everything is perfect. That’s why it is a lot easier to point out the imperfection of other people. It’s easier to judge based on photos and comments. When you see the success of others, you want the same thing for yourself.
As what Spiderman said, ‘with great power, comes great responsibility’. Social media is powerful. Anyone can post anything. As long as the post is publicized anyone can comment anything. You can be loved today and hated the next day. Children exposed in social media becomes prey to the predators. Instead of enjoying the sun and playing with friends kids are more hooked in playing on their phones. As for the adults, they tend to seek for acceptance. The reactions and comments they get from their posts somehow boost their self-esteem. Not everything that is seen online are true and must be looked up to. Other people post almost everything online. Even personal matters become broadcasted. Privacy becomes easily invaded. It is easy to post something negative about someone and find sympathy in social media. Hate comments and trolls are rampant in social media just because they feel empowered in doing so.
Cyber bullying has affected many people. When you are criticized online and your photos are leaked it’s difficult to go out. People tend to look at the mistakes done online. It’s as if they knew you for the mistake you made. Even the people you don’t know are prying with the issue. Often times, it leads to depression which causes someone to take his own life. This should have been prevented if only everyone is aware by the power that the social media holds.
Proper use of social media can help in building a better community. The primary purpose of social media is to connect people with one another and help in making things easier. Everyone must be sensitive enough not to post things that aren’t true. Before posting or clicking anything, you need to think of its consequences. Is it beneficial? Is it worth posting? Why are you posting it? What is the purpose of your comment? Will it build that person or break that person? Why do you follow that trend or challenge? Will you gain anything from it? Before sharing your picture or posting personal information, you need to think wisely. Once posted, you can delete it on your social media account but not on the mind of those who has seen your post. So you better think twice before posting anything.
Awesomely written