I hate to be an old fogey but here goes. . . . I'm not sure how good all this technology is for mankind, but mainly I really worry about how social media impacts our kids.
I know there is always this "life was simpler back then," thinking, and who doesn't get all warm and fuzzy looking at the yellow glow of a kerosene lamp in a cabin window? However, the real problem is that I believe the constant barrage of information on social media coupled with the false information it promotes ( i.e. quest for perfection) is basically gonna do us all in. I truly believe it.
There I said it. I feel better.
Five years ago my incoming freshman shared a draft of a paper she wrote on the negative aspects of social media that simply blew me away. She had epiphanies and revelations that even I hadn't even thought about. She expounded that the people presented in their social media accounts weren't real, and that their bodies and lives weren't real either. She wrote that the people, and the lives presented on social media platforms were aesthetically perfect, and basically there was no such thing. Her paper was spot on.
Cut to winter 2023, and I'm talking her down off the ledge at night because everyone has jobs in their careers, everyone has perfect boyfriends and big salaries. (And trust me, I don't even TRY to bring up her paper) Instead, I remind her of something we always talk about, and that is that social media does not depict real life. And we end almost all of our late night calls with my mantra, "Try to stay off social media. It's toxic."
This is one time I really hope mom is not right.
At this point there is ample evidence documenting the detrimental effects of social media, but I wonder how many consider Blogger, Word Press, etc. social media platforms. They are. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the ways we curate and present our lives, including but not limited to our lives on Facebook, Twitter, etc. I've seen both the idealized version of oneself, as well as the airing of all one's dirty laundry. I prefer the former to the latter. As with most things, moderation is key.
ReplyDelete