It’s no secret that modern social media are affecting daily lives. Digital platforms promoting self-expression and connection with others are among the most valued commodities in today’s global culture. As these platforms continue to adapt themselves to accommodate the needs of a “wired” society, the society itself must evaluate its own demands.
Take for instance the idea of connectivity: The driving force behind the majority of social media. After all, what is the point of expressing yourself online if there is no one there to give it a digital thumbs-up? But the way we’ve chosen to engage in self-expression is to generate shareable posts, photos, videos, and more that detail daily life. This information generation wouldn’t be unreasonable if social networks were limited to a few individual connections. However, social media connects hundreds of thousands individuals world-wide. This mass-scale information generation makes daily consumption both time and attention consuming.
#QOTD from @EthanZ's book #Rewire. Thinking about how to best utilize the media and technologies we create.. #NHsmc pic.twitter.com/EYqljyqnr7
— Sara Gatcomb (@SaraGatcomb) January 28, 2016
How does one effectively connect with 500 Facebook friends, 2,000 Twitter followers, and 150 connections on LinkedIn? The answer is simple: you don’t. And certainly not while effectively maintaining IRL relationships. As we divide our attention across these platforms and digital relationships, how many valuable online relationships do we actually have? Speaking for myself, not enough.
Great study on relationships and social media. Social media has a place, but can't sustain relationships. https://t.co/ZaEKhPDzt0
— Paul Cornwell (@paulthecornwell) January 25, 2016
Additionally, while social media strengthens communication with those we are away from, it often does so at the expense of those sitting next to us when we connect with our digital peers. Perhaps then, social media should be viewed more as a relationship aid than a necessity.