Social media is rampant in our society now and the average adult spends anywhere from 1-3 hours per day on social media platforms. Is this addiction or daily need for social media more impactful than we realize?
Issue #1: CYBERBULLYING
The first issue, and the most obvious to me is the amount of cyberbullying that occurs due to social media. Social media allows us to fully be ourselves but in turn it allows us to act without consequence or fear of true rebuttal. The amount of suicide and depression has steadily been increasing year by year and psychologists are suggesting cyberbullying may be the culprit.
ISSUE #2: WASTING TIME
Social media is excellent at getting our brains a break during the work day, but it is very easy to over use these breaks to the point where you are spending hours at a time on your smart devices taking meanless quizzes that attempt to guess your age based on your breakfast food choices. Websites such as Buzzfeed and Reddit can have you falling down the “Reddit Hole” and a five minute media break will quickly turn into a long sustained break as you read random news that have little to nothing productive about them.
ISSUE #3: ATTENTION SPAN
Having these quick posts to keep us entertained while waiting in line at the movies is great! But as all things, everything needs to be in moderation. The ability to have something engaging us in the palm of our hands has reduced our attention span. We are quick to move on from a post or article and often have the TLDR (too long didn’t read) mentality. This leads to a decrease in reading and literacy as it affects our younger generations.
ISSUE #4: JEALOUSY
Social media is great at sharing our experiences and letting everyone know what you are doing and how well you are doing. This is great for being able to keep tabs on friends and family, but unfortunately this often leads to jealousy if you feel they are having a better time than you. We all know that in social media, you put your best side on display which can make it appear as though you have it all together with no concerns. HA! No one has it all together.. The world is hard for each and everyone of us but we don’t show this side to our social media.
ISSUE#5: INABILITY TO SEE LIFE
Pics or it didn’t happen right? We have been trained to film, record, and write about everything that happens in our day that might be noteworthy. Sure this may be great to be able to look back and recount memories from a later date; however, we are so concerned about getting that “shot” that we miss the feeling of being fully engrossed in the present. The urge to capture everything pulls us away from our natural presence and our “in the moment” chances to truly experience life raw. So do yourself a favor and leave your camera home during your next trip out and see what small things you notice that you may not have before.