By Skylar Boggs ’18, Lifestyle Editor
Modern technology allows for people all over the world to connect with one another on a daily basis. Whether you live in China or Australia, you can be just a phone call away from a distant relative or friend. Another way people have begun to connect is through social media. Whether it is Twitter, Instagram, VSCO, Vine, Facebook, Snapchat, or Tumblr, almost everyone in every country on every continent has at least one of these accounts. Although everyone seems to have an account, it does not mean that it is automatically beneficial or detrimental, as many of our parents think, to our growth in society.
All of these social media bases help you to see what is going on in your old friend’s lives, or maybe in your distant families. Everyone uses social media for their own reason. Some people use social media to meet a partner, or meet a long lost sibling, or just because they can. Many celebrities use these social media bases to connect with their fans and to stay “in the know.” People keep track of who has the most followers, retweets, likes, or friends on all of their accounts. Some celebrities fans can devote their time and full attention to the daily updates they are given. Social media in the 21st century has progressed to a level at which most teenagers spend nearly 70% of their free time on their phones.
People today, especially teenagers, complain when they go into a restaurant or a store and free WIFI is not offered. There is a feeling of disconnection when you “go off grid” and you do not have the chance to connect with your friends on the internet. Some people use the social media to procrastinate doing their homework. However, people in our society today have become dependent on the idea of the internet being available at the click of a button. The idea that people can hide behind a screen and display their emotions through a caption on a picture intrigues many. Although many people believe that social media can have a negative effect on the lives of people in society, it can bring out something that makes you feel enclosed and safe just as a blanket does.
Image Source: http://www.jsums.edu/socialmedia/strategy-and-guidelines/
