Is Social Media Bringing People Together or Tearing Them Apart?

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE BLISS AROUND IT

Lives nowadays are directly linked with social media, whatever we do; whatever we have it must be journaled on our channels. Like it makes us somehow more credible if whatever that is going on in our lives is put on social media.  Sure, it has brought us closer, made us talk confidently online, on topics that we might feel strongly about in actuality but are just not confident enough to speak in person.

We can share thoughts and feelings, meet similar people who we connect with on websites like Facebook, Twitter; where there are different groups for different people. Being a part of these groups makes us feel like a family member, and sure enough, we are like a family-An online family.

Let’s take a simple thing like Birthdays; some of us are really bad with them. No matter how hard we try, exactly one day before the actual event, we forget it. Social media has made that easy for us too. We get annual reminders of such events and get the opportunity of hitting our friends up and having a chat. So a friend who you don’t get a chance to talk to regularly now knows that you were thinking about them.

Another feature that is really special about the online world is the relatability, sometimes we are in such a dark place in our lives that makes us feel alone and timid, like no one around us knows how painful it is to feel like that, then suddenly you come up with a post that someone has shared and you see that hey are going through something similar.  It shows, even for just a moment that no, you are not alone.  Then talking to that person and further knowing them more makes us feel more validated and comfortable.

The basic advantage, or benefit if you may, of this online reality, is it can be a form of escape. Where you can cleanse yourself and then come back to normality.

A simple thing like sharing a meme with your dad, or laughing at a funny post with your brother, or tagging you mom and sister on something can make your personal relationships more significant and similarly more fun. You don’t have to look at your dad as the head of the family or your mom as the neck but people who find the same things humorous and funny as you. That is one of the best things social media provides for me, a life beyond life. Making new friends, talking to new people and having conversations that are very important, that is what makes social media a platform of expression.

THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE OF ONLINE WORLD

Like real life, social media also brings forward its dark side. A side that is vile and harsh, which is not receptive but resistant. We meet different types of people on social media, some can be kind and open-minded while others are cruel and harsh. They do not know how words are more damaging than wounds, this is where we encounter online bullying. Something that when talked about can seem very small and childish but can cause severe trauma to a person. It could be anything, from a simple negative comment to someone making fun of you.
Now, the question that arises is: How is online bullying growing people apart? The answer is very simple when a person faces backlash on social media it is usually by someone they know, causing rifts between relationships, especially amongst younger people, who are not mature enough to talk in person instead they lash out at each other online.

Furthermore, the excess use of anything can be damaging to a person. Too much time spent on social media can drift families apart especially when there are no proper rules in the house,  where people are on their phones or other devices all the time. Instead of talking to each other, they are looking at their screens.

TWO SIDES OF A COIN:
Every coin has two sides to it.  Similarly, every action can have a positive or a negative impact on others, it depends on you as a person which side you want to be a part of. The side that uses social media as an aid to get closer to others or the one that takes you to a lonely, dark world.  People should be more educated on the usage of social media, at home there should be rules that when the family is together there will be no phones allowed instead they could all play games or talk about current affairs or anything, except social media. Similarly, your online avatar should be used to connect with people not to bully and criticize others. If what you want to post is negative or ignorant, then why post it? Furthermore, whatever happens on social media should not be a reason for you to lose your reality.  Use social media for healthy debates, constructive criticism and bonding with others, not to bring others down. Because what you put in the universe will eventually get back to you.

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