Facebook has caused quite a stir over the past few years. What would we do without it?
Social media, in general, has exploded over the past year- with the rise in popularity of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In what way does social media fulfill us? As social media grows larger and larger I feel as if the more it becomes a competition of: how many likes can I get on this picture or how many new friends can I add or how many awesome pictures of myself can I post to show off how wonderful my life is right now?
We have all fallen victim to this at least once or twice... or maybe on a daily basis depending on how in touch we are with our virtually portrayed lives. The virtual, social networking world is dangerous. It boosts egos and switches focus on ourselves and the issue of : how cool can I make my life look? The real relationships and interactions we have with the people around us are what truly matter, not how many friends Facebook says we have.
What did we ever do before the explosion of social media? I feel as if the relationships we shared with others were stronger, less superficial and more personal. Without Facebook, getting over ex's or forgetting bad memories would be much easier. The constant urge to stalk that cute boy or girl in your anatomy class on Facebook is tempting, but really, if Facebook didn't exist you might actually have to have the courage to talk to that person in real life.
Today, it's easy to reach out but are we truly reaching out when it is not in person? There are so many ways to "stay connected." Are we truly connected or are we just in existence with one another? Communication forms the cornerstone of all relationships and it's sometimes important to evaluate how you communicate with others. What does your Facebook say about you? Are you creating a persona online that is true to who you are in real life? It is easy to get sucked in, for sure.
For example, the other day, Facebook was experiencing a glitch and all 2013 had been deleted. I frantically tried looking for it--every- where and it was nowhere to be found.
Why did I freak out? Then I realized that I had become victim to the social media bug. 2013 has been my most exciting year yet and Facebook has proof of that...but without proof, my life just seemed lame. I had to remember that my memories from everything that had happened this year in 2013 weren't lost, they were just lost on some irrelevant website that made me look cool.
But wait. When I say irrelevant do I really mean it? It was a wake up call and proved to me just how selfishly dependent we can become on social media. Social Media has the power to rule our lives, if we let it. After about four or five days everything from 2013 was restored and everything in the world was good again.
What would we do without this "communication tool?" Just think, next time you're on Facebook, think about how you portray yourself. Have you created a competition for yourself ?
Do you dwell more in the virtual world than you do in the real world? If so, then it's time to wake up and smell the roses, spring is already among us and it's time for new beginnings. Take charge and experience life for what it truly is. Focus on the real relationships you have with people and not what it says you have online.
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