Do you use Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat? In today’s society almost everyone has some form of social media. It provides us with a convenient way to stay up to date with the latest current events and things happening in our loved one’s lives. However, while many of these platforms were created to form a sense of community among family members and friends, it has quickly become a place where people go to show off and portray themselves differently than they do in person. It has become an online realm where people can hide behind computer and phone screens, allowing them to paint a false reality. Social media allows many of us to create a new self-image where our lives are “picture perfect,” which has often done more harm than good.
From personal experience in talking with my family and friends, I have learned that there is a great amount of people who do not necessarily want to be on social media, but feel the need to do so. It is simply the way of the world. If we are not connected on social media, then we feel as though we are missing out on having an insight into other people’s lives or allowing people to see ours. Often times we find ourselves posting a picture to see how many people are going to like it or who is going to comment and what they are going to say. It is in our human nature to have a desire to be seen and heard. We want to know who is watching what we are posting, and it consumes us on a daily basis. Although this is a fact, it does not mean that it is necessarily beneficial.
Often times when we have a bad day or are bothered by a person or situation, we immediately feel the need to express our thoughts to the world. However, what we fail to realize is that once it is posted, it never gets fully erased. Screenshots and screen recording features have made social media an even darker place than before. Even though many social media platforms offer users to make their account private, there is nothing that prevents people from sharing the information they have access to. A suggestion may be to keep these private posts in the draft folder to look back on instead of immediately pressing the “tweet” or “share” button.
Social media, although a convenient way to stay connected, has more often than not created an avenue for many people to falsely portray themselves. It also provides a way for people to obtain more information on someone than they should be able to. Before posting something about ourselves or our lives we should really consider what consequences may come and that it will be out there for all to share.
