With great social media power comes great responsibility
We are at the forefront of a technological
revolution that has transformed our way of
living, and one of the most significant transformations
over the Internet has been the
Web 2.0 phenomenon.
It is an irrefutable fact that social media sites provide a great platform for networking, keeping in touch with friends and even connecting with employers and finding jobs.
While there are many benefits of social media, we should not be oblivious to its problems. Social networking sites have only been around for a decade or so, and nobody knows how they will continue to rewire and shape our minds in the future. We need to exercise some caution before going crazy about social media as it can act as a double-edged sword if not used properly.
Similar to businesses using social media for monitoring consumer interests and reaching target audiences, young people are using social media to gauge the way their acquaintances or friends feel about them. “Likes” may be considered approval and not liking or following might make one feel snubbed. Sometimes, we are too generous with our social media praise and create false expectations of being reciprocated in the same way. But, more often than not, we feel one-sided and experience emotional burnouts while suffering unrequited virtual friendships. Inadequacy and insecurity reigns in; so, in order to counter that, users keep coming back to sites like Facebook and Instagram. Any sort of favourable attention proves a stimulus to our brains; our egos are boosted and we feel an exaggerated sense of self-worth. We get so addicted to the false sense of validation that when friends don't follow us back, we instantly feel downcast.
My friend recently confided in me about how jealous he felt when he stumbled upon pictures of his friends having a get-together party, which he wasn't unaware of. He started feeling as thought his friends didn't care about him anymore since they didn't invite him to the party, and he couldn't help but wallow in self-pity.
On the other hand, there are people who act as a false pretence on social networking sites. They intentionally flaunt a rosy picture of themselves to give others the impression that they're having a wonderful and perfect life. What they exhibit is a mirage of happiness so that they can provoke envy in others. An attempt to outdo others gets them drawn into unnecessary competition and oneupmanship. Friendship, which was meant to be meaningful and deep, becomes conflated with instant messaging, measuring likes, sharing photos, and exchanging half-baked comments.
Nothing could replace the authentic human-to-human relationship. As you are reading this, millions of people are socializing and connecting with complete strangers they have never met in person, all while they fail to engage with people living in their own communities. Social media equips us with a sense of bravado and false courage to say things online we would never dare to say in person. It allows us to hide behind the screens and zone out from harsher realities of life. At the same time, we feel vulnerable to those right around us, but most meaningful relationships do demand a degree of vulnerability.
A recent study by psychologist Ethan Kross from the University of Michigan illustrated how social media, contradictory to its primary purpose of making us feel more connected, actually contributes to increasing loneliness and reduces general life satisfaction. The root problem is the addiction with social networks and the illusion of real relationships. When we are alone, we don't know how to handle it and, therefore, grope for some social media pacifiers. In the process, we deteriorate genuine relationships and wind up lonelier than ever. There is a negative shift in the way people feel moment-to-moment and how content they are with their overall lives. Thus, social media enhances loneliness and depression instead of undermining it.
It's natural to get irked when your friend responds to some other friend's tweets and never yours, and it's also reasonable to feel a twinge of envy when you see your friends having a good time without you. However, we should not measure the value of our friendship by making judgements based on the way we are treated in the virtual world of social media. Learn to be satisfied as everybody can't be the cynosure of all eyes on Facebook. Instead, focus your energy on other relevant issues in life. Social media usage is fine but it becomes a problem when people lack balance in their lives and miss out on the greater opportunities that real life has to offer.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
It is an irrefutable fact that social media sites provide a great platform for networking, keeping in touch with friends and even connecting with employers and finding jobs.
While there are many benefits of social media, we should not be oblivious to its problems. Social networking sites have only been around for a decade or so, and nobody knows how they will continue to rewire and shape our minds in the future. We need to exercise some caution before going crazy about social media as it can act as a double-edged sword if not used properly.
Similar to businesses using social media for monitoring consumer interests and reaching target audiences, young people are using social media to gauge the way their acquaintances or friends feel about them. “Likes” may be considered approval and not liking or following might make one feel snubbed. Sometimes, we are too generous with our social media praise and create false expectations of being reciprocated in the same way. But, more often than not, we feel one-sided and experience emotional burnouts while suffering unrequited virtual friendships. Inadequacy and insecurity reigns in; so, in order to counter that, users keep coming back to sites like Facebook and Instagram. Any sort of favourable attention proves a stimulus to our brains; our egos are boosted and we feel an exaggerated sense of self-worth. We get so addicted to the false sense of validation that when friends don't follow us back, we instantly feel downcast.
My friend recently confided in me about how jealous he felt when he stumbled upon pictures of his friends having a get-together party, which he wasn't unaware of. He started feeling as thought his friends didn't care about him anymore since they didn't invite him to the party, and he couldn't help but wallow in self-pity.
On the other hand, there are people who act as a false pretence on social networking sites. They intentionally flaunt a rosy picture of themselves to give others the impression that they're having a wonderful and perfect life. What they exhibit is a mirage of happiness so that they can provoke envy in others. An attempt to outdo others gets them drawn into unnecessary competition and oneupmanship. Friendship, which was meant to be meaningful and deep, becomes conflated with instant messaging, measuring likes, sharing photos, and exchanging half-baked comments.
Nothing could replace the authentic human-to-human relationship. As you are reading this, millions of people are socializing and connecting with complete strangers they have never met in person, all while they fail to engage with people living in their own communities. Social media equips us with a sense of bravado and false courage to say things online we would never dare to say in person. It allows us to hide behind the screens and zone out from harsher realities of life. At the same time, we feel vulnerable to those right around us, but most meaningful relationships do demand a degree of vulnerability.
A recent study by psychologist Ethan Kross from the University of Michigan illustrated how social media, contradictory to its primary purpose of making us feel more connected, actually contributes to increasing loneliness and reduces general life satisfaction. The root problem is the addiction with social networks and the illusion of real relationships. When we are alone, we don't know how to handle it and, therefore, grope for some social media pacifiers. In the process, we deteriorate genuine relationships and wind up lonelier than ever. There is a negative shift in the way people feel moment-to-moment and how content they are with their overall lives. Thus, social media enhances loneliness and depression instead of undermining it.
It's natural to get irked when your friend responds to some other friend's tweets and never yours, and it's also reasonable to feel a twinge of envy when you see your friends having a good time without you. However, we should not measure the value of our friendship by making judgements based on the way we are treated in the virtual world of social media. Learn to be satisfied as everybody can't be the cynosure of all eyes on Facebook. Instead, focus your energy on other relevant issues in life. Social media usage is fine but it becomes a problem when people lack balance in their lives and miss out on the greater opportunities that real life has to offer.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
