Hi, I’m Ryan, and I have slid into a girl’s DM’s before.

It started off in fittingly juvenile fashion. Two of my classmates approached me during my high school journalism class. “Hey Pike, [redacted] said she thinks you’re cute.”

[Redacted]? She was a senior and I was a sophomore. This was crazy. I didn’t believe them at first, but by the end of our conversation, I was convinced. I had to talk to her, but I didn’t know how to.

So, 15-year-old me slid himself into her Twitter direct messages. Just another simple example of how social media has the power to bring the world together.

Found a cute boy named nick at @hardfest but didn't get his number, twitter do ur magic & help me find him @ourplurfamily @livenation @dory pic.twitter.com/AgKf7dchVP

— Deepti (@supdeeps) August 9, 2017

Of course, social media has the ability to bring together more than just two teenagers who might know of each other but not actually know each other. It’s a powerful tool that has brought the whole world closer.

When I studied in Madrid last Fall, it was easier than ever to share photos and details from my trip with everyone who would be interested in seeing them.

I did that European half-kiss people on the cheek when you meet them thing last night for the first time and it was weird

— Ryan Pike (@RyanPiker) November 9, 2016

I didn’t have to wait until the trip ended to share fun photos or write letters home to share details. Instead, I had instant gratification on Twitter and Instagram from friends and family who, in a sense, were experiencing the trip with me. That was pretty cool, especially for my parents who have never left North America. To me, that’s a clear illustration of how social media has changed the world and brought it closer together.

 

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