It is hard
to imagine life without the Internet and the instant connection to the world
around us. We live and breathe social
media from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep and the obsession
is only intensifying as technology improves.
Although this topic applies to people of various ages who own a
smartphone, it is a noticeable epidemic among college students. I have become especially aware of the impacts
of our super-connected society simply by walking around the FSU college campus.
College is a
time for young adults to become further educated, explore career opportunities,
and make new friends. The “make new
friends” part is quite difficult though when everyone you walk by is face-down
on their phones scrolling through their latest Twitter feed. Having a cell phone in hand is the default
mode for the majority of students once we leave class, preventing us from
experiencing what is happening in the current moment around us. The underlying message we send to everyone
around us when we gaze at our phones, whether we know them or not, is that
“someone or something else is more important than talking to you right now.”
Living in
the moment is fading away before our eyes. Are those groups of people you pose
with in your party pictures truly your friends or are they just people posing
with you for the sole purpose of making you look more popular to others on
social media? Did you go to that concert
to actually enjoy the music or was the intention to broadcast how cool you are
to your connections. It may be tough to admit, but most of us have been guilty
of these situations at some point.
Certainly,
it is always nice to photograph memories that you can cherish forever. Snapping
dozens of carefully crafted selfies and videos just because it is “post-worthy,”
however, is not the way to make the most of your experience. So next time you are out with friends or
around new people, try putting your phone in your pocket and engage with people
around you. No pictures, no tweets,
nothing. Just live in the moment.
Why is interacting with online friends less real than interacting with people face to face?
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Micronesia! Yes, there are people all around the world reading your blog! Love your username by the way- it reminds me of both Princess Peach and pancakes, both of which are awesome!
ReplyDeleteI think most people agree with you here, and I do too. However one point to consider is that there is no objective best way to live life. If people wanna live through social media and take endless selfies, who are we to tell them that it's wrong? I think that calling frequent social media use an "epidemic" is a bit extreme- it shames people who use a ton of social media in their everyday lives when it's not really a bad thing. It's a different way to live, sure, but I don't think it's wrong. I love me my social media, sometimes I overused it in college and sometimes I looked down at my phone as I walked, but it didn't stop me from making countless great memories and friends through the years.
Trying to live with less social media is a good experiment for anyone, at least I have learned a lot when living without a phone, but I don't think any less of people who still use a lot of social media. People experience moments in different ways, and if that way involves social media, then it's cool. Saying that it's wrong comes off as a bit judgey.
Don't let this discourage you. Your writing is great and you have many great points! Keep up the great work!
I am always telling my friends to put there phones down and pay attention to what's happening around them so I like that you included this in your piece. I think a lot of people can relate to this. I like how you set up your post and how relatable it is to people these days. Overall great posts.
ReplyDelete