I AM a 21st century
child. I was raised on the brink of the new millennium, the prime of a new era
in which communication and interaction between millions of people across the
world became the norm. Having lived in multiple states and having travelled to
over fifteen different countries, I’ve accumulated tastes of almost every
culture. Even in the metropolitan atmosphere of my home city, Chicago, it is
not uncommon to find an authentic Mexican restaurant side-by-side a Korean
karaoke bar.
I grew up not knowing what was
going to reinvent the world in the next month or the month after that. Technology
has always fascinated me, ever since the days of the Gameboy Color and iPod
Nano. But more than late night entertainment, technology has transformed
into a medium for communication between societies. Have you ever stopped to wonder why “LOL” is the internationally
recognized abbreviation for “laughing out loud”, and not “lost our luggage”?
To be an active participant in
world affairs, it almost goes without saying one needs to be connected to
social media. Social media diverged from simply being optional. Facebook has roughly three times as many users as
people living in the United States! That’s a whopping 955 million subscribers
to the mindless collection of images and posts by friends, or strangers we dare
call our “friends”.
In fact, businesses are devoting
entire departments to social media marketing, and those of us savvy enough in
the field gain that extra edge. Even my homecoming groups and fantasy leagues utilize Facebook as a forum for discussion and planning events.
Some question social media’s
invasion of privacy, and I concede their points. It’s a little unsettling to
think that those superficial acquaintances I glance at in the hallways probably
know the last concert I went to or what I ate for breakfast, thanks to our good
old friend the World Wide Web. Sure, there have been sporadic instances of deactivations
of Facebook and Twitter accounts, futile attempts to revert to old ways. Yet,
in some ways, social media is that old friend that never leaves you alone. It’s
an addiction. A powerful addiction, one that affects everyone around you. Once
you feel connected, you feel like you’re in.
And once you’re in, there’s no getting out.
Despite all the stigmas, the resulting high-speed
communication has left positive influences on the world. It’s better for
health, better for technology, and better for communicating with friends and
family. It has created a sense of democracy in
the marketplace of ideas, allowing average citizens to find things that make
them happy, but also things that make them tick. What sticks with you?
With technology all around, some people feel a sense of overstimulation that I would argue is not healthy. How has social media also negatively affected society? Some people might also say that this addiction to technology, as you stated, is the worse addiction they have experienced. To what extent is social media aiding our lives versus dominating out life?
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