Social Medi A Tool Not A Wayf Life

“People can take their time when posting information about themselves, carefully selecting what aspects they would like to emphasize (Gonzales 80).” By controlling what information and self-attributes to share with the online world, an individual may present an idealized version of self that would not align with societal perceptions in the face-to-face interactions. Furthermore, Gonzales notes that recent research in computer-mediated communications suggests that online self-presentations can alter self-perceptions (80). As Orenstein says, “I tweet, therefore I am.” The online presentations of self can become the reality, or idealized reality, of the

The use of technology and social media has become very prevalent in the 21st century. Almost everyone in the United States owns some kind of social media account. According to Statista.com, “In 2017, 81 percent of U.S. Americans had a social media profile, representing a five percent growth compared to the previous year.” While the number of users increases every year, it seems as though the number of people who prefer to live in the “virtual world” also increases. I believe that social media sites create isolation for all individuals. There are so many distractions on these sites that most people cannot even focus on the present. These sites also provide an illusion of companionship. While many believe they are finding their “soulmates” online, in reality they are only living in a fantasy. A person’s self-image is also affected by social media. Some believe that all the “likes” and “comments” can boost self-confidence, but if you are not receiving any of these things, then what is the point.

In Life is Friends, Martinet, an author known for her knowledge on the art of mingling, justifies the reason for why connecting with others in person is lost and declares that “All too many people make the mistake of looking for friends who can further their career or their social standing” (Martinet). The public cares too much about their status in society and the way that people view them. Humans attempt to depict themselves in a way that makes them appear “cool” or “fit in” with everyone else. Technology is just one outlet that people constantly use to paint a picture of themselves for the rest of the world to see. While in real life, a person may not even closely resemble their social media profile. Therefore, it is often tricky for those that care about their status to have a natural conversation with others for fear of not portraying themselves accurately. Face to face conversations are also on the decline because people care too much about their social standing and would prefer to only talk to friends that can improve

Beside her, was Melanie. Melanie was one of those girls who was happiest when she was depressed. She was the wildest of us all. Her weekends were spent in dark cars with strange boys and she drowned every evening in the bottle of vodka hidden under her bed. I was envious of her each night while I sat, dried out, in my room. She sat through each class with one headphone in her ear, listening to music that would feed her angst. That day at our table, she juggled our conversation with one she was having over text messaging with some boy unknown to any of us.

Although technology can help us express ourselves and stay connected with others, this doesn’t mean we have to use it all the time, and have it be all we ever do, and become addicted. Social media allows us to stay in contact with and maintain long distance relationships, or if you just want to text a friend about plans over the weekend or on a break(Doc 2). But we can use this to create more opportunities of face to face interaction rather than mindlessly scrolling through unimportant feed. Statistics show that our

In ‘8 Frightening Ways Social Media Is Molding Us’ Anne Grey Smith writes, ‘…it seems these devises are causing a lot more damage than simply brainwashing and making us speak their alienating language.’ I agree with most of her eight explanations but none more so than the fact that social media is wasting our time, destroying face-to-face conversation and most of all, diminishing our self-worth.

Today, many relationships are built and maintained exclusively online, and, while Baym et al. (2007) found that online interactions were of relatively high quality, online relationships can be problematic. Cornwell and Lundgren (2001) found that “involvement - particularly commitment and seriousness - tended to be lower in cyberspace… and misrepresentation - specifically of age and physical attributes - tended to be higher in cyberspace.” But what about relationships that exist in both cyberspace and real space? In addition to being reflective of narcissistic tendencies, the creation of the ideal self through selfies and social media can created an altered perception of self that conflicts with their partner’s perception of the individual (Halpern et al., 2016). These differing perceptions are troublesome as the partner is “supposedly the person who knows the other best,” and may feel conflicted by these differences (Halpern et al., 2016). If a relationship exists exclusively in cyberspace, catfishing is a concern. If a relationship exists in real space, with a cyber presence, we see conflict resulting from jealousy and dissonance. For purposes of this study, we will focus on relations that exist in real space and in cyberspace to better understand how social media use is associated with relationship

Social media has become a main part of life for many people around the world. With all the different types out there, almost everyone is connected to the Web in some way. We use social media to keep up to date with our friends and family, share interesting events that are happening in our lives, check up on celebrity gossip and world news, and so much more. With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all the other social media websites out there, the way of life when we had to write letters, call people on our land lines, and talk to people face-to-face seems to be long gone. Now, the question is, is social media ruining our social skills and personal relationships with people? In this paper, I interviewed five different people to

Social media is one of the most popular means of communication today. The general public uses social media to talk to loved ones, find long lost friends, and participate in online discussions. As technological capabilities have advanced over the years, so has the public’s reliance on social media. Debates have surfaced about whether the public is misusing social media. Many people are questioning whether social media is replacing human interaction and isolating people from one another. In my life, social media has helped me find and stay connected to the people that I care about the most. Social media does not isolate people from one another and benefits society by making it possible to have discussions over the internet.

With technology constantly on the rise, it’s becoming harder for people to put down their smartphones and tablets. People choose in how they would like to portray who they are as a person differently. Some prefer to stay out of the limelight while others consider themselves famous based upon follower count. Social media has become a phenomenon. If someone is constantly active on the internet it could be for many reasons, they may be insecure, self absorbed, or just trying to figure out who they are. They begin to rely on “followers”, which are those who will subscribe to their feed and posts, “likes”, and comments. They may choose to share personal stories, food, fashion or experiences

“Ashley, I am so so so sorry! Are you okay? Please told me that someone told you.” “It is not true right? Please tell me people are lying.” “No, Skylar committed suicide last night.” I stand there with a blank expression across my face and my body froze in my current position. I could not cry, I could not laugh, and I could not feel anything in the world at this time. Two more girls approach hugging Tearra as if I, THE COUSIN, were not standing there. Oh, so the old friend of my cousin needs the hugging and the babying and all the affection in the world when the cousin and best friend of the person committing suicide is just standing here. Angrily, I walk off. So pissed off that when a guy named Andre, who went to the same school as Skylar since middle school, passes me asking if I was okay I ignore him and head straight for my first class.

Living in the 21st century requires one to stay current with latest technological advancements. Ever since the development of social networking sites, people are now able to create a carefully-crafted identity for themselves. This has led psychologists to question how well these online personalities match the person in front of the computer. The innovative branch of media psychology looks into how social networking portrays individuals and initiates human interactions within a society.

The label, “Social Media”, is due to its ability to encourage people to be more social and communicative through the internet. Yet, it is now known that the name might not live up to its expectation. With less face-to-face interaction, relationships and communication skills are being sacrificed. Although one may have one thousand

Most of us use social media to communicate with our family, friends and our loved once. Since almost all of my friends live 8000 mile away, I use Facebook, Instagram, and viber to keep in touch with them. Bur recently I started noticing it has become more than a means of communication. I start posting a picture and obsesses about how many likes I get, checking other peoples Facebook just to see if they have more friends than me, believing every post without questioning if it’s a fact and funny enough I start sending friend request for people I don’t even know. Christine Rosen, a senior editor of the New Atlantis and resident fellow at the Ethics and Public policy Center in Wessington, D.C. on “In the Beginning Was the World”, she wrote how technology is affecting the society’s critical reading ability. Peggy Orenstein, an author and a contributing writer for the New York Times, on “I Tweet, Therefore I Am” she talks about how social media is distracting as from fully live in the moment. Even though the development of technology have increased the quality of life, it also brought undeniable challenges to our society. The constant use of social media and internet has increase society attention-seeking, Distracted, and decries critical reading. The use of social media has increased dramatically throughout the years.

More recently than in years past, digital technology and social media have grown to become a part of our everyday lives. The recent rise in those who own smartphones allows this everyday use of digital technology and social networking to be easier than ever before. At any time and any place, we have the ability to “socialize” with nearly anyone—even celebrities who have no idea most of us even exist. The continuous consumption of digital media has altered once personal face-to-face communication to just that, digital. More and more people seem to be living in what Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon call “The Cloud”. “The Cloud” is a seemingly alternate universe of which communication is altered from personal to digital. This universe has led to debates over whether or not these online communities are real or whether social media is actually social. Various digital media sources also encourage users to create individual identities, of which may or may not actually be real. It seems as though our reliance on digital technology and social media have allowed the determination of certain aspects of our lives. Although social media allows us to connect with nearly anyone at any time, Americans have taken advantage of its use, and their attention has been drawn away from real life interactions to digital ones. The ramifications of such influences reflect the hidden insecurities of Americans and, ironically, emphasize our inclination to boast about ourselves by allowing others to see the