The Influence Of Social Media

1792 Words4 Pages

A way young people evaluate their self-worth is through social media. Today, one has sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram available to them from a very young age. While some say it is a normal due to the technology driven world we live in, access to these media sources greatly impacts developing minds. One comes to believe that it is not personality that matters, but the number of followers and online friends that one can build up. After being on Instagram for over four years, I have a following of about 500 people. When I get over eighty “likes” on a photo I am shocked. Although my numbers are miniscule compared to the 300 plus “likes” my roommate usually receives, my surprise comes mainly from the fact that I could not name eighty …show more content…

This is how author Roger Scruton describes the effects of social media on relationships. While young people thirst for validation and acceptance by others, the way in which they receive these things does not seem to matter as much. Instead of one having their personal opinions heard by those closest to them, many broadcast their beliefs to their social media followers without thinking twice. They do not expect a special response from a particular person or for a conversation to come of the comment; in most cases a like, favorite, or retweet will do. It is impossible for meaningful conversation to come from status updates, short text messages or 140 character tweets. For those living in previous generations, letters and phone calls were the only ways one could communicate with one loved ones. While today’s methods allow us the instant gratification that we have come love, significant communication can be lost among a sea of “OMGs” and “LOLs.” When our parents and grandparents liked someone, they had to build up the confidence to go up to them and outright tell them. Today’s young people count on winking or kissing face Emoji to sufficiently get their point across. As a result of social media, young people are loosing their ability to communicate effectively with others when they are in person. It is time to take away the keyboard and computer screen and get back to the basics of human

Open Document