Does social media connect us or distracts us from what is necessary? Read on to know more.
How many times we have read the memes about social media on social media itself. It might be the 'mom's all problems, one solution - leave your phone' or 'how scrolling through Instagram constantly and missing out 24670855 years of your life just like that'. And obviously, we find them spot-on relatable. This clearly shows how much we have involved ourselves in social media.
Yes, during school, we all must have written or debated on the topic " Is social media a boon or bane" and this debate has been in existence since the advent of social media. We are raising the question again because of the change in times and redefined ways and the amount of time for which social media is used. With the introduction of Covid-19, a completely new dimension regarding the usage of social media has played an interesting role in changing the landscape of discussion on this topic. This topic is indeed debatable and utterly subjective. So looking at both sides is necessary to understand which side is better.
Does Social Media Connect?
The lockdown left us craving for real-time and real human interaction. No one knew that we would be left at the mercy of our internet connection and digital devices. Maintaining social distancing meant increasing proximity to social media. Like everything else was not already being digitized, physical meetings have been digitized as well.
A human being is a social animal and thus social media was really the life saviour when they were stripped off their social circles for months straight. That way, social media connects us with things and people we want to be connected with.
We all remember the video calls made on WhatsApp, Instagram with our close friends during the whole lockdown period. Where did the hours go? We can't fathom it. Those texts and multiple calls that saved our collapsing mental health late at night as well as during bright daylight, we can't thank social media enough for them.
Not only these, but it also connects the artists with the patrons of their art. Multiple people who got the time to find themselves and rekindle their love and expertise in their hobbies started their page and channels so that they can reach out to the people who appreciate their talent. They got a stage to display their soul's voice.
Social Media demolished the boundaries between countries, religions, and cultures. It promotes unity. You can appreciate anything, interact with anyone without caring about the variety of restrictions imposed upon us. Such connectivity is permitted only through social media.
Buyers meet their sellers through social media these days. They can find their target audience effortlessly and people can buy the products of their choice online. These vendors provide exclusive goods and at good prices. Social media connects us with content that we want to be connected with.
The news, the content that we like to watch and consume are brought to us with the help of social media only. A lot of times, the news that is not covered by mainstream media, is propagated through social media. It connects and provides a voice to those whose voices are suppressed by the system. It empowers such people.
Does Social Media Distract?
Has it ever happened that you've been working and studying for long and the very moment you touch your phone, your parents barge into your room and catch you red-handed? Worry not, you're definitely not alone. Though refreshment is necessary, an excess of this refreshment can return you to the factory setup mode, that is, making you forget everything that matters.
The constant addiction to social media has become fatal for our concentration on productive things like studies, work, or our hobbies too. No wonder our fingertips search for social media applications nearly every time we unlock our phone every 5 minutes.
The amount of fake news that is spread through social media is surprising. Also, rather than what really matters and what is required, our minds are diverted towards all the memes, misconceptions, cheap publicity stunts, and trolls that don't fetch anything worthy for us at the end.
Due to the virtual world of social media, we often ignore the real world and real people sitting in front of us. Those people who shower their attention and love on us, they don't get the same reciprocation because we are busy on social media. Our parents, close friends, and family suffer at the cost of social media. Being connected to meaningless people and overlooking those who matter, is never a good sign.
A lot of differences between couples, friends, and colleagues are due to the seen/unseen, replied/ignored messages on social media. Rather than focusing on personal space, genuine love and care, good communication, and spending quality time with each other; which are the most basic and most crucial elements for a relationship, we have made social media our standard of expectations.
Our social media involvement with each other has begun to define the depth and closeness of our relationships. Social media can take a serious toll on our mental health with all the filth that is available out there. We need to know this is all trash. Worthless. We need to wake up if we are letting go of our priceless things just for the sake of a virtual society!
Conclusion
To be honest, we all know that this boils down to our consumption. Gluttony of social media would always lead to the indigestion of relationships or anything that actually matters in our lives. This pandemic has put a lot of things in perspective and now we better know what really matters in our lives. Social media would act as a medium of connection if you are vigilant about not falling into the trap of superficiality and ignorance.
Written By - Saakshi Priyadarshini
Edited By - Sravanthi Cheerladinne
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