Social Media Gone Wrong

What is it with us? Social media has evolved into something so much more than just keeping in touch with distant relatives and people from one’s past. The direction of social media is heading into is a very unrealistic one. We use social media not for the purpose of staying in touch, as much anymore, but for the sole purpose of a perfect yet fake reality. A place to show how much better they are doing with our lives than yours. Every post, like, comment, and filter being used helps people build our self-esteem, to seek approval from everyone else around them. It seems that the aspect of social media has changed its true purpose and has somehow warped us to be more “confident” about our lives, even if it is not. The truth is that the time spent on social media has a negative impact on society’s life, which can result in poor use of time, unrealistic expectations and ultimately a downfall in a lack of interaction.

It just occurs to me that the amount of time spent wasted on social media rather could be used more effectively. Hours and hours spent every day? Every scroll, post, like, comment, tweet, and repost could be used to be more productive. Based on personal experience I, myself have procrastinated when I do not feel like starting my homework, studying or just anything in general. This is definitely a negative aspect of social media because people spend so much unnecessary time that could be used more efficiently. Like that one day I got home from school and spent a half hour just going through any notification that popped up on my phone, but you know it is not like I was in any rush to do my homework or anything. I find myself asking, “Is this what my life has come to?”. As a result of my actions of procrastination, if only I would have started my homework as soon as I got home, maybe, just maybe I would have allowed myself to not have the worries about doing it at a later time.

I find that it is quite easy to let one’s mind wander off. The element of distraction allows people to lose valuable time. When I have procrastinated, I tend to stay up late at night to try and complete as much as possible. Yet, we all know where that leads us. With the presence of social media, it gives people the ability to waste time on something not as important. If only people were more focused on what is given to them at hand. However, it seems that if people actually used their time more effectively, then they would not have to procrastinate nor rush to get their work done.

This brings me into the flipside of social media. People have this sense of pride when they show off what they have, but in reality... do they really have that much to show off? This fake reality, over time, has been put into place for people to use as an escape. Seems like society is too worried about seeking approval from everyone else, instead of seeking approval from the most important judgement, themselves.

Nowadays people converse over social media way more than they do in person.With this lack of interaction, it can become an unhealthy obsession. In some cases, people never even truly learn how to talk to another individual. Little do they know that in the real world, this is going to be a problem. This stands true in the instances of interviews. with a very important person and not knowing how to speak in front of their face. Society is hiding behind a screen and is having a negative impact on their lives. In the meantime, if people spent less time on the phone direct messaging over social media, then people could actually have face-to-face conversations and not be socially inept. I have experienced this scenario happen within a close family friend and it is sad to watch someone being afraid to break out of their shell since they do not know how to respond to others. Hence, if people would spend less time talking through the phone and would have a conversation in person then people will have better interactions with an individual in any instance.

The amount of time and energy put into using social media has had a negative effect on society’s life. Social media has turned into a nightmare with unrealistic expectations and lack of interaction. With the combination of these unacceptable effects, real life scenarios have allowed me to come to the realization that society is being impacted negatively. People need to stop worrying about everyone else’s opinion and worry about their own. One’s self love is worth 100 times more than the compliments given on Instagram Snapchat and Facebook combined. If you can accept yourself for who you are then, you are capable of conquering anything. To better yourself, people should not be spending countless hours on editing pictures and scrolling through social media sites. The goal in society should be working on bettering yourself, instead of comparing yourself. With the presence in social media, it is one big competition of who can get the most likes, comments, reposts, etc. when in reality it does not matter about those factors. Worrying less about these insignificant gestures will allow people to be more confident and more productive in the long run. If society is going to act fake in front of a screen, then people will never truly know their true self.