Disconnected from Reality

Posted on by Kathryn Robinson

Social media is a powerful tool and rapidly expanding. Being from the generation of social media junkies, I’ve witnessed massive changes in a short time. But how is it impacting our relationships? Well, I believe for the better and worse.

I got a taste of this last year when I was gallivanting around Europe from my home base, studying abroad in Madrid. In Europe, I didn’t have the luxury of unlimited data for Snapchat or Instagram that many of us experience in the U.S.. At times this made things difficult. Not being able to access maps or get ahold of the person you’re trying to meet could be frustrating. However, I think this is what made the experience so rich. Without the safety net of our phones, we were forced to interact with the locals. I got lost with friends and happened upon a magical area of the city I never would have found otherwise. We enjoyed each others company and what was happening around us, rather than looking down to see the latest Facebook drama.

But, that’s not to say that all social media is poison. Being connected to everyone from home was a gift when we could finally access WiFi. It made the moments of catching up with someone back in the U.S. that much sweeter. I know studying abroad is like a fairytale world and it’s almost impossible to be unconnected in the United States. However, looking up too see what is discoverable was the best thing for my relationships.

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