ENG 101, Social Media post

It's amazing how quickly social media grew, infiltrated our lives, and became so commonplace that it is now almost essential for day-to-day life. For most people, it's the first thing we check when we wake up, and the last thing we see before we go to bed. It has had a huge impact on the world, and it certainly has affected me!

The largest impact it has had on my life is as a mother. I am connected to a huge network of parents, some I know in real life and some I have never met (and a few that I met only because I first met them online!). We chat every day, share photos and videos, post rants, raves, and reviews, and ask for advice. It has opened to doors to so many ideas, practices, and concepts that I had never thought of before. In so many ways, it has made me a better parent. I've had such an opportunity to learn from other people, and I have gotten to help teach them as well! The internet is great for seeking knowledge, but with social media you really  get to pick the brains of other people. You can learn everything from new recipes and home organization tips, to marital advice and home medical remedies. It's also great just to have other adults to talk to, when you spend your days having pretend phone conversations with a bunch of toddlers, and discussing Sesame Street. The dark side of social media is how time consuming and even addicting it can be. Sometimes it's difficult to peel yourself away from a good conversation on facebook to go wash dishes or play a board game with the kids. The time it takes up is by far the worst part of social media. Occasionally I stop and ask myself, "WHY am I still sitting here, flipping through instagram and looking at pictures of peoples' lunch?! There's a whole world out there! Pull yourself away from the computer screen, woman! Go for a walk!"

I think social media has had a huge impact on our society as a whole, and I think it's had both positive and negative repercussions. The positive side is a connectivity with people who we don't see regularly. When I've bumped into old high school friends from the store, I actually knew what was going on in their lives and it didn't feel like it had been quite that long since we'd seen each other. Unfortunately, I think the dependence on social media has bred a deep desire to avoid actual human interaction. People text whole conversations back and forth, when it would be easier just to call and speak. I think it has also led people to share things you would consider "TMI" with other people. If you and I worked together for a few months at some job years ago, I don't really want to read about how great your sex life is or how much your gout is flaring up, and I certainly don't want to see your duck-faced camera self-shots in your dirty bathroom mirror! Furthermore, for a society of people who are more and more relying on text to communicate, we sure have forgotten how to spell and use punctuation! And what's with all of the crazy acronyms? Omgwtfbbq!

Ultimately, I'm glad that social media exists and I will continue to use it. I must admit though... I do feel a bit dirty using facebook, knowing that it is full of subliminal advertising that is slowly brainwashing me into buying all of the "thneeds" of the world that I don't really need.


TTYL! ;)