Granted we all like to stay "in touch" with each other, as plugged in as we are, is as checked out a society as we really have become socially person to person. As we drift from human connection that is both vulnerable and requires effort to truly show compassion, to conversing through a texting community, we lose basic social skills, feel isolated and actually have the ability of changing brain chemistry. Social media is one of those things that started off as a great idea and has morphed into a niche of life that can have a dark side. This form of technology has helped us as a nation in a lot of ways, particularly with minute by minute news, feedback, faster communication and tracking everything ever said, thought about or caught on video tape. Here are the ways that in my observation we benefit and suffer through what is this social media obsession...
The Good:
Celebrities were long viewed as Gods and Goddesses... untouchable, unreachable and mainly one you saw on TV, or in concert if you were lucky, to which would be the most exciting experience just to catch an in person glimpse. Pull up an old video of a performance where kids cried and passed out just being in the presence of a Michael Jackson or Madonna. In concert we actually went to sing, mosh-pit, enjoy the artists and the art of the show. Now your lucky to see someone who isn't video taping so they can clap along or actually see the LIVE concert happening in front of their faces. Only to upload clips to instagram, Vine, Facebook, youtube, etc and see how many "friends" like and can be jealous of the fact that they are 1000 feet away from Rhianna. The positive side to what sounds like a negative is that celebrities are real people too, there is something inspiring to realize our potential to reach a little higher and be motivated to work hard and "make it" in life. They would disagree and tell you that as a celebrity they are earning less the more "human" they become. But we aren't talking about them now are we...afterall, they make enough as it is.
This at your fingertips news is always great because you can on demand, sift through what your interested in hearing, find out first and basically tell all your friends.
The internet world as a whole is infinite these days. You can access any information about unlimited topics and so the social media outlet has been linked to all of this data as well. We are capable of sharing cool, trendy, helpful and hopeful tips daily with just a few clicks.
Its fun, plain and simple social media can be funny, be an avenue to connect with friends who live cross country, in a different country completely and find those you haven't spoke to in years.
Marketing for your business has become very popular and successful form of reaching the masses. A company can run online sales and link to the website for your shopping convenience. They can also market jobs available to those who are following them and looking for an opening.
Social media has helped raise money for people in need, connect long lost family members, adopt pets, and even find children. For these reasons social media wins my vote, if we can have positivity as the main focus of why we log onto see one another, Im in.
The Bad:
Wasting time; countless hours are spent surfing these sites for up to the minute info on what we don't have in our lives, what we don't want in our lives and what we wish we had in our lives. Plain and simple we are constantly comparing ourselves to our neighbors who post messages that are glorified to make others jealous. So we spend hours being envious when we can be humbled at our own blessings. Spread happiness and joy for a friends fortune as opposed to asking yourself how can you outdo the Jones's.
Children are a part of these sites, if it's not hard enough going through puberty and having to compare oneself to others, now kids are being bullied on social media, exposed and viewing inappropriate information.
Lack of social interaction causes depression by way of isolation and limited physical contact. There are studies that support the nature of physical touch as something that alleviates depression, changes the production of chemicals produced in the brain that are in direct correlation to joy and comfort. Social media is supposed to connect us as a world but the more we log on and the less we meet up, the more disconnected we'll all be. I had a phone carrier ask me a few months back "who talks on the phone anymore", as if it was a dying trend! I said I do, yes I text but sometimes I want to hear someones voice and its easier than typing out something that can be misconstrued. I was in shock...
Productivity at work and at home is shrinking as the demand for multitasking, working multiple jobs and family demands are increasing. However, as we all can attest the time spent online goes by quickly and our families and jobs are suffering because of it. We are all distracted even when together! You can pretty much go to any restaurant to see a whole family on their phones at the same time, what are they viewing...social media.
The Ugly:
Social Media has now become the closest thing to Porn Ive ever seen. Yes I said that. If you look at the images that are liked by men, put out by women and circulating the fastest, they are generally sexually explicit in form. The obsession with women showing off their larger bottoms, busty tops and suggestive poses to gain attention and approval from men who comment what they want to do with them and to them is running rampant! Sadly, the breakdown of family and church in the homes of America has obviously created self worth, self confidence and morality issues amongst the many who aim to be the next adored "internet star". There isn't any real talent, devotion, hard work, or career oriented passion being applied to gain a following...just skin. When looks fade or someone more attractive, less clothed comes along, where will the self esteem of these ladies be? I am in no way saying this is only a female problem, I think men are just as much at fault, for feeding into the portrayal that will eventually be the pool of women they have to choose from, the pool of girls who date their sons and the pool of women they expect to be the other half of a respectable, responsible society. We all affect each other, therefore, we are all accountable for one another. It's a fleeting popularity contest that is destined to fail and shallow in character representation. Not to mention these images once posted are public for life, affecting your chances at getting a job and diminishing a reputation, had you any future at a respectable public service place of employment.
All social community sites are known to break up relationships, cause drama and sometimes have resulted in public online brawls. Because of the temptation of having unlimited options of your sexual preference, falling victim to crossing a partners boundaries is unfortunately many couples downfalls. What may be acceptable language, viewing pleasure and conduct in general to you, may be very inappropriate to your mate. Whats considered cheating may be the exchanges that are taking place on social media via private messaging people you know or don't know, sexually suggestive comments, and meeting strangers who are your "friends" online that can lead down a path of infidelity. When you open the door to temptation, you close the door of respect for your partner. Knowing the one you love is spending time admiring other men or women's beauty/body creates seeds of insecurity and would be better spent in investing into ones own relationship. If asked "what you intentionally do anything to break the heart of the one you love, disrespect them or veer away from the boundaries of loyalty" I guarantee we'd all say "no". But in making choices that put yourself in that position, you are knowingly asking for trouble.
Morality is a major issue when you log online, social media not excluded but being one of the biggest offenders. It's not a secret that I am a Christian women and seeing the filth that is the words that are spoken against one another out of hate, rejection, negativity, jealousy and sexual deviance is extremely discouraging when Im asking myself where is society going as a community of people. A community that may look different but on the inside have the same makeup, with the same desires to be accepted, loved and know they matter. Its apparent that we are using all means necessary to fill the hole that the bible says, God created for him, with materialistic and physically stimulating messages. How lost have we become in our souls that we think the immediate gratification of a split second post is going to fix the years of damage that has caused that brokeness leading you to seek out strangers for comfort to begin with?
Expecting privacy online is like asking pigs to fly, its never going to happen. New privacy policies are less restrictive these days and claim ownership over your images, posts and personal information. There are ways in which this data is collected and sold to other companies and can travel into the wrong hands. The sex business is one of the biggest businesses in the world, most of it now online. Hackers or even the average Joe with photoshop can steal your face or body to exploit you and make a buck. Im not advocating fear based mentality but for at least showing less skin and setting your accounts as private as you can, might be a smarter option. Do not post nude pictures online of your children, not because those of us who have morals are offended but for those pedophiles who have ruined it for everyone else. The online world is similar to a growing corporation, once it starts getting too big, you can always expect a small group to bring it to a new level of "disorder" in which restraints have to then be applied.
Who is going to start applying restraints on social media that is infecting the brains of 74% of adults logged on and the 72% of children 18 and under influenced daily? Noone, anytime soon.
I am a social media user so Im not advocating for a boycott but just that we realign our morals, goals and contribution to a future we all have to live in. We can control our own behavior and hold ourselves to a higher standard, we are in control of that. From the mouth of Ghandi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world". If you want to have stronger relationships, more educated children, a more productive day, and people who respect themselves around you, then hold yourself as accountable for what you allow on your screen and to those your call "friends".
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