Okay, so pretty much everyone has a Facebook account these days. Maybe not a Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat, Yik Yak, Whisper, Pinterest, Reddit, or any other site you can think of, but at least a Facebook. Even my grandparents have a Facebook and my Grandpa can barely turn the computer on. (Also, the computer operates on the Windows before Windows 7, whatever that was!)
However, what is the point of social media? It's great for advertising, staying connected with people you may not talk to otherwise, and expressing your thoughts and feelings on a daily basis to a presumably large audience. Or if not your thoughts and feelings, at least your outfit for the day or the sushi you had for lunch or complaining about Whole Foods running out of your favorite peanut butter. #firstworldproblems
Let's not even get started on hash tags.
Very recently, I have been observing how much time social media takes from me. I have been aimlessly scrolling and watching Buzzfeed videos instead of reading, writing, or working on schoolwork. It is an addiction.
Then, I saw a friend's Facebook status. She announced that she is getting rid of all of her social media and if you want to talk to her, you can text or email. I took that as a sign and I have copied her. My Instagram and Twitter are both gone. My Facebook is still up, but only for a few more days so I can spread the word, make sure everyone knows they can contact me in other ways, bla bla bla, and then I'll click the shiny delete button.
Why go through all of this? Well, ask yourself what you really do on your social media. What does it really do for you? Do you actually get credible news sources? Do you actually hold real and personal relationships with everyone who follows you or is on your friends list? What is the point?
Before I made this decision, I went through my friends list on Facebook and realized that pretty much the only people I truly cared about and actually had a relationship with already had other ways like email or phone number to contact me. And those I care about very much, but for some reason don't have the contact info I just sent a personal message. It occurred to me that if someone really wants to know what I'm doing with my life, they will want to be a part of it and shoot me an email or a text message.
This brought on more thinking. What happens when we have text messages or emails to communicate with and only that? When we aren't trying to fit that 140 characters or less or don't want to write a long novel under a status? You have deeper conversations and you get to know a person more. It's no longer surface.
My friend that I am copying, I have had her number before, but lost it due to an unfortunate phone situation. However, because we were Facebook friends and she shared so much and I could contact her so easily, I never recovered her phone number. Now that I have it again and social media is pretty much done for me, I've had some pretty awesome conversation in hardly a day that has made me feel more connected to the world and to my thoughts than social media has ever done for me.
In hardly a day of quitting social media, do you know what I've been doing? Reading Game of Thrones. I actually had the time! Time is pouring out of my ears! I've been trudging through the first book for a very long time, but in one afternoon, I've sprinted across almost the rest of the book! And once I'm finished, I can start on the next one or go back to reading five books at a time like I did in high school.
Social media is not evil, but it does affect focus and time management skills. I will have more to report on this subject later as time goes on. Maybe my focus problem will lessen and maybe my stress will start to dissipate. This is going to be fun.
What are your thoughts on social media? How do you think it has impacted our current world and culture? How has it impacted you? Do you think it is good or bad? Please tell me more!
However, what is the point of social media? It's great for advertising, staying connected with people you may not talk to otherwise, and expressing your thoughts and feelings on a daily basis to a presumably large audience. Or if not your thoughts and feelings, at least your outfit for the day or the sushi you had for lunch or complaining about Whole Foods running out of your favorite peanut butter. #firstworldproblems
Let's not even get started on hash tags.
Very recently, I have been observing how much time social media takes from me. I have been aimlessly scrolling and watching Buzzfeed videos instead of reading, writing, or working on schoolwork. It is an addiction.
Then, I saw a friend's Facebook status. She announced that she is getting rid of all of her social media and if you want to talk to her, you can text or email. I took that as a sign and I have copied her. My Instagram and Twitter are both gone. My Facebook is still up, but only for a few more days so I can spread the word, make sure everyone knows they can contact me in other ways, bla bla bla, and then I'll click the shiny delete button.
Why go through all of this? Well, ask yourself what you really do on your social media. What does it really do for you? Do you actually get credible news sources? Do you actually hold real and personal relationships with everyone who follows you or is on your friends list? What is the point?
Before I made this decision, I went through my friends list on Facebook and realized that pretty much the only people I truly cared about and actually had a relationship with already had other ways like email or phone number to contact me. And those I care about very much, but for some reason don't have the contact info I just sent a personal message. It occurred to me that if someone really wants to know what I'm doing with my life, they will want to be a part of it and shoot me an email or a text message.
This brought on more thinking. What happens when we have text messages or emails to communicate with and only that? When we aren't trying to fit that 140 characters or less or don't want to write a long novel under a status? You have deeper conversations and you get to know a person more. It's no longer surface.
My friend that I am copying, I have had her number before, but lost it due to an unfortunate phone situation. However, because we were Facebook friends and she shared so much and I could contact her so easily, I never recovered her phone number. Now that I have it again and social media is pretty much done for me, I've had some pretty awesome conversation in hardly a day that has made me feel more connected to the world and to my thoughts than social media has ever done for me.
In hardly a day of quitting social media, do you know what I've been doing? Reading Game of Thrones. I actually had the time! Time is pouring out of my ears! I've been trudging through the first book for a very long time, but in one afternoon, I've sprinted across almost the rest of the book! And once I'm finished, I can start on the next one or go back to reading five books at a time like I did in high school.
Social media is not evil, but it does affect focus and time management skills. I will have more to report on this subject later as time goes on. Maybe my focus problem will lessen and maybe my stress will start to dissipate. This is going to be fun.
What are your thoughts on social media? How do you think it has impacted our current world and culture? How has it impacted you? Do you think it is good or bad? Please tell me more!