“There’s a set of rules that anything that was in the world when you were born is normal and natural. Anything invented between when you were 15 and 35 is new and revolutionary and exciting, and you’ll probably get a career in it. Anything invented after you’re 35 is against the natural order of things.” Douglas Adams
There will always be those who claim that technology, specifically social media, is the sole cause of the “laziness of our generation.” They - usually being the Baby Boomers, claim that we - the Millennials - are too absorbed in our phones and our tablets. We are all too quick to ask Siri if we need a jacket for today’s weather forecast before we even consider stepping outside and checking for ourselves. We have become absorbed in our social media sites and often a common source of distress comes from not getting enough likes on Instagram. And they do have a point, the introduction of social media has changed communication, ultimately making it faster and more simple. We will forgo whole sentences and instead all you will hear is a conglomerate of randoms letters flowing from our mouths. TBH, OMG, LOL, BTW, LMAO, SMH, IMO, the list goes on and on. Which for some, especially the Baby Boomers, is making communicating with younger generations slower and confusing. However, I’d like to make the argument that social media has enhanced communication to a much greater extent than it has hindered it.
Social media gives people the chance to communicate with other people who are separated by whole continents. In chat rooms, you can find like-minded people that can offer support and information. On online dating sites you can meet your soulmate. On Facebook you can befriend people in other countries and see what they are up to. But not only is social media connecting us to people we have never met, but bettering our communication with people that we already do. In Seth Masket’s article, “Don’t Fear the Network,” he also claims that, “The online world isn’t supplanting the off-line one; it’s enhancing it. We no longer need to lose touch with neighbors who move away or with school friends who graduate; we can keep friends for life and still make new ones.” So not only are we enhancing the possibilities of people and organizations we can now communicate with, but we are enhancing already existing relationships no matter the distance. Say goodbye to snail mail and long distance phone bills, now you can video chat, direct message, and snapchat people all across the world in a matter of seconds. Social media has made interpersonal communication faster, less expensive and more personal.
Not only is social media connecting us to new people, but it is connecting us to new ideas. These ideas are enhancing our own communication; our opinions, our voices. Now with the simple use of a hashtag you can be connected to information from all across the world; getting updates on issues and events happening whole time zones away, in real time. With 140 characters you can express your opinion and add to that conversation. Social media can connect us to new concepts we’ve never heard of before and give us insight. It is allowing us to approach tolerance and understanding before prejudice and disdain. The list the top hashtags of 2015 - Black Lives Matter, Pray for Paris, Stand with Ahmed, Refugees Welcome, and Love Wins - demonstrates how people are genuinely trying to turn to education and information first before developing their own voice on the topic.
Overall, not only is social media enhancing our communication, but our communication is enhancing our social media. I believe that as we continue to create more places and ways for people to interact, the quicker ideas like human rights and freedom of speech and religion will be able to impact more people; enhancing the human experience for everyone, everywhere.
Sources:
Masket, S. (2014, June 2). Don't Fear the Network: The Internet is Changing the Way we Communicate for the Better. http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/networks-changed-social-media-internet-communication-82554
Refinery29 (December, 2015). “This Was 2015, According To Twitter Hashtags.”
http://www.refinery29.com/2015/12/99095/2015-a-year-in-hashtags#slide
Andrew Williams - I enjoyed reading this reflection, however I felt you didn't highlight the negatives social media can impose on humanity as much as you highlighted the positives. I would try to balance out your reflection/opinion to give it a un-biased and credible outlook for all readers involved.
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