Social_Media

Social media has taken off as fast as someone who just stole something would. And although there are benefits to the social media outlet, just like the person above, social media stole something, but from us. It is great to be able to, text someone and say, “Hey, just got out, on my way!” But it seems like no longer do many people want to go out with a friend for coffee or go play basketball. For what, when you can play the latest NBA video game in the comfort of your own homes. Because social media was so well received by the multitudes we no longer really “hang out”, have real conversations, and have the intimacy we once had among friends. I cannot remember the last time I hung out with a friend, well, at least one my age. Because of social media instead we communicate via text, email, or a phone call. Although not all the blame goes to the ones who created those communication outlets, most does. Of course, as we get older and are in college or working we lack time and sometimes even effort to hang out. But when we do have time we would rather type out how we feel and have a friend or friends respond and there goes our therapy session. I personally am more of a “home-body” but I also love to hang out and hate to be on the phone –if it is to communicate¬¬–¬and although I do, it is a nuance to me. Call me old-fashioned but what happened to the good old face-to-face communication days' It came and went with new technology. I remember not that long ago hearing about some technology that they are working on that you would connect yourself somehow to the computer and so would someone else and you would meet in a virtual world where it would seem so realistic that you would no longer probably have a physical family get together. I find it a bit depressing to think that we a going into an era where no one wants to hang out and talk face-to-face. I mean we are already in the era of at home shopping and working from home. What is next' Online barbecues or virtual church' Did we already go too far or are we heading down a road where we will no longer even desire to leave the comfort of our own homes' I personally do not like everything we are offered by this social killer called social media. I still desire that oneness with a friend or family member; I do not want my favored and the only real way of communication stole from me. Communication is vital between any two or more individuals. I mean miscommunications is one of the main reasons for divorce and one of the main reasons so many people get scared to commit their entire life to someone. Not to mention that many friendships and have ended and many petty arguments have begun over some type of media outlet, or even families breaking up, no longer wanting anything to do with each other because of the lack of emotions conveyed over a text or Facebook. It is sad that people have let this two-faced thing called social media to determine who we talk to or not talk to any longer. I say two-faced because on one hand it can be so romantic to get a text from the man that you are in a relationship with, that says, “ I love you” or “Just thinking about you” all out of the blue. Or even communicate with a family member or friend about your day, but what about the connection that is not received through the receiver or phone line' What about the jokes not understood because it was written wrong or how about all the spelling errors or new text lingo that changes every so often' I want to know who I am talking to, best friends with, or dating. I want to feel a connection between us something we can carry on for years. My mother, for example, has had a few friends since high school; I on the other hand do not talk to too many people at all. My mother had more face-to-face communication with them and I had more of a virtual one with my friends. No doubt about it, I know that because of my animosity toward making the virtual world my only world is why my friends are very minimal. No longer are many conversations intimate between the communicators, because there is a messenger. Intimacy has left the conversation, no longer to be seen, and nowhere to be found. Well, unless it is done face-to-face. That sense of connection, camaraderie, closeness, and even trust is not found in any media outlet. Yes, I can have a conversation with someone via text or phone call, etc. But there are so many noisy people that can chime in on our discussions or since the volume on the phone can be so loud someone sitting next to you on the bus can hear the conversion between you and the secret person. Do not get me wrong sometimes sending a text is way faster and easier but sometimes it can take even longer if the receiver of the message found it to be disrespectful or did not understand it. The messenger or middle man does not always get it right, kind of like the game telephone. Although the message is not going through multiple people before it gets to the intended target, it is even worse because it just goes through one “person”, so to say, and it comes out wrong. So instead of the rapport you get an argument. I also dislike it because it is so impersonal. At least if you are in the same place as someone and they are cooking you can also help and still feel that bond. I got off Facebook mainly because of that. It can be a great place where acquaintances meet or a drama central for the drama mommas. Affection between family, friends, etc. is very important to me and social media fell short. Because of social media, we no longer really spend physical time with people, have real conversations, and have the intimacy we once had with others. In some aspects it saddens me to think where we are now in the social sector. A thief would have been put in jail a long time ago yet social media is backed by social justice and the need and want for advancement.