A few weeks ago, I deleted all of my social media accounts. My Facebook and Instagram, which I had not used regularly in years, are gone. I deleted my Snapchat, which was the hardest for me. I even deleted my Pinterest account and a Tumblr account that I had forgotten about. Why did I do this? I received this question many times and had several people text me, asking why I let our Snapchat streak end. That reaction made me even happier that I had rid myself of social media.
Social media platforms are at their greatest prevalence today and they will continue to grow as more and more people have access to technology. I do not disagree that the fundamental intentions of social media are great—connecting people from across the world, linking celebrities with their fans, allowing for more convenient communication. However, since social media applications have grown in popularity, they have morphed into these sites based on the need of approval through followers, likes, and views. People have become obsessed with the these fruitful numbers and have become fixated on photoshopped images that are just a beautiful slivers of the truth, comparing themselves to the airbrushed photos. Throughout the day, social media users will check their accounts countless times, scrolling through these fabricated posts and images. Constantly being on a phone, especially on social media, pulls people away from reality and prevents them from living in the present.
With the increased connectivity social media offers, it is becoming easier to remain linked to others, yet simultaneously distant. At the touch of a button, people are connected to one thousand of their closest friends; a notification will inform users of the birthday of someone they haven’t spoken to in years. I recently became uncomfortably aware of this aloof behavior that social media sites facilitate and I realized I do not want to be connected to a multitude of people who I do not care about and who do not care about me. Deleting these applications has shown me which people in my life I genuinely want to keep in contact with. I know social networking is important and useful, but the extent at which these sites have been used is becoming dangerous, especially for increasingly young children who have access to these platforms.
The next time you are about to post to one of your social media accounts or feel the urge to check your newsfeed, ask yourself why.
Photo Sources:
1. http://www.seevibes.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/02/social-media-1.jpg
2. http://www.thenonconformingprofessional.com/images/15433183_m.jpg