The Importance Of Social Media

Social media has structured today’s society into a bland, staccato, and dissuading social dystopia. Today’s incredible technological advancements bring to us glistening pieces of technology like smartwatches and smartphones that we wouldn’t have fathomed would come to existence 5 years prior. All these new gadgets that have been tailored to be an extension of our bodies and minds simply detract from the human experience and make us unappreciative of the limited time we have. We must not follow one another like blind sheep; let us defy the social norms and live life like entropy is a lie. “One of the problems for human beings is mental habits. Once we create a comfort zone, we rarely step outside of that comfort zone. The consequence of that

Words written on the screen do not have the same impact as a face to face conversation. The computer screen that is supposed to connect people has become the wall that filters feelings. The trembling note of a voice that we can not hear, the happy sparkle in the eye, or a tear that we can not see, make the online conversation lack emotions that are so crucial in real friendship. Thumbs up and smiley face emojis will never substitute a comforting hug, reassuring pat on the back, or a warm, sympathetic, old fashioned hand shake. Information exchanged in social media platforms are stripped of emotional depth and spontaneity. While we live in a fast, busy, hectic world, we do not have time or feel a need to respond immediately to messages shared electronically. Belated replies are often quite different than responses in a real life, spontaneous face to face conversation when there is no time to analyze or rehearse, and words are generated by true feelings of the person at this particular moment. For many people direct conversations became too difficult. Instead they communicate by tweets, texts, emails. Contacts by electronic devices might be a sufficient way to collect data or exchange information but are not working for people when they are trying to get to know the other person and

Little do they know how big a toll it is taking on their relationships. Hundreds of virtual friends create an illusion of closeness and popularity. Unfortunately the social media addiction is often linked with narcissism, loneliness and depression. Many people discover that in a crowd of virtual friends they can not find a person they can rely on in a real life crisis situation. Yvette Vickers, former Playboy Playmate, died quietly in her home, and her body was not discovered until almost a year after her death- computer still glowing. She was alone in the world with no children or religious affiliation and only sought companionship as an elderly woman in distant fans which found her online (Marche). Mark Vernon notes the studies of two scientists on the field of “intimate friendships” in his articled dubbed “Is True Friendship Dying Away?”. He shares statistics that over half of Brits claim they are living in a lonelier society, and two-fifth recalled feeling increasingly distanced from their close friends. The quality of friendships is what has gone extinct and many blame it simply on the timely demands of their daily