The Case for Social Media

Sometimes, social media can be demonised way more than it should be (I should know, I do it quite often). But honestly, it has been one of the greatest inventions after the internet. For everyone bashing how social media has 'destroyed' everyone there's also a bunch of things that social media has actually made better.

From identifying who you would consider never being friends with under any circumstances to showing you that perhaps your strange interests are loved by others outside of your snobby little town and that you're not actually a weirdo.

Social media has been a great place for people to get together and I'm going to go through some of the reasons why. It's definitely a controversial opinion, but I really believe that it has made the world a slightly better place.

1: I Would Not Like to Speak to You Under Any Circumstances Ever

Social media has done much more than just making the lonely people of the world some mates. It has also showed us exactly who we would not like to be mates with. First and foremost there are those lowest-common-denominator folk I was talking about two weeks' ago. Then there are the toxic fandom folk - and that can even be within something you are a fan of. There's nothing better than being a die-hard fan of something/someone and then never interacting with the online fandom ever. I mean there may be one or two people who are quite nice but there are definitely a good majority that you know that just because you are both fans of the same thing/person that doesn't mean you two would ever be friends.

We've all been in that situation when we are scrolling through our social media feeds and come across something that we really don't agree with. Perhaps we are even experts on the topic the person is wrongly discussing. But instead of voicing our opinion and leaving ourselves open to discussion with this human version of a migraine, we just hold it in and scroll on, hoping we never see that post or person again. If you take extra steps, you may even block/mute the person to stop seeing anything even remotely related to them or their replies.

2: I Know Your Favourite Things, but I've Never Seen You Standing Up

There's an opposite side of this where people only know each through social media and therefore, have made really good friends. I know I have made some great online-only friends which would probably make it weird to meet in real life and possibly destroy the illusion. I'm just happy that on some ocassions, I have people I can talk to. Sometimes, it is better talking to someone online rather than someone in real life, there are a whole set of different dynamics there.

Sooner or later, you would know everything about the other person. You would slowly learn what they were into, who they are and what kinds of things they enjoy. But on top of this you will probably be spared all of their stresses and their sad moments - which is questionable. In real life and on social media, I always had a hard time opening up because of my very strange personality but I eventually met people that I could get on with. But really, that's only online. Still, I don't share everything and it's worked so far. It only proves that there is a balance to that online dynamic which works very well when making friends.

3: Let's Create Little Cults on the Internet

For all the talk there is about divisiveness on the internet let's all remember what the internet was in the 2000s - small pockets of cults. Now they are referred to as 'fandoms' and god knows they have become toxic and populated with the lowest intelligence that humanity has to offer. You might think (as I also do) that nowadays it is probably best to stay away from any fandom, even if it is supporting an artist or brand you find particularly appealing. But that was never the case before.

These little cults on the internet never used to be so toxic and it was mostly because people weren't as chronically online. Our brains had not yet been rewired to only suit the online world and most people spent about 20-30 minutes in discussion only to exit into the real world and continue living their lives. Now it is the opposite. 20-30 minutes is spent in the real world and the rest of the time, most people spent hooked up to a source connected to the internet. I know, I'm complaining again, aren't I?

Well, maybe that's not all a bad thing.

Stop throwing tomatoes at me.

Hear me out.

Everyone needs catharsis, especially the young who have often pent up rages and angers, angst and other horrifying emotions. Remember, we were all teenagers once. I was reading somewhere that it has become impossible for teenagers to spend time on the internet without adults because they don't have their own spaces. Therefore what tends to happen is they end up making fools of themselves and get judged very harshly by people twice their age. I mean, where in history have so many adults destroyed the self image and mental health of teenagers so swiftly before? Nowhere and so, it shouldn't really be happening.

If the internet is supposed to have these safe spaces for self-expression, which we have to admit is what it was created for - and on top of that we struggle to keep teenagers off the internet, then why don't we have a place that is just for them? Or how about we go a step further and tell the adults to stop interacting with teens on the internet? The more you say 'adults interacting with teens on the internet', the creepier it gets even if there is nothing creepy going on.

My point? Teenagers will act out because they are teenagers. Forcing them off the internet won't stop that. It just transfers. If they are getting into something or someone and forming what looks like a cult then there is nothing dangerous about that until threats of violence or self-harm arise. At least they are doing this in full view of the rest of the internet and not behind closed doors.

Conclusion

I could make many cases for social media but these are the three that I think are the most important for understanding why the world would now perhaps be a worse place without it. We could go on: small businesses now having national and even global customers, people being able to contact family members across the waters and share holiday pictures with little effort and almost instantly and of course, being able to see what the hell Robert Downey Jr is doing and a random time of the day.

Social media can be fun. But with every right comes responsibility.