Is There Such Thing As Too Much Togetherness?

Posted on by Hannah Clary

There is no question that social media brings us, as a society, closer together. It allows people to stay in touch with and connect to one another; new and old friends, family, classmates, colleagues, people with whom we share interests and passions. It allows us to communicate on a variety of social media platforms; so many that we can easily feel comfortable connecting with almost anyone, given the wide array of websites and apps to choose from. While there are many positive aspects to connecting to so many, so easily, people often fail to recognize that so much communication and togetherness can also have a downside.

Studies shows the pressure of social media has caused millennials increased anxiety leading to a potential decline in mental health. In this generation of over-sharing and a lack of accountability, social media has licensed people to be hurtful. With the click of a button, words can be sent that would never be said in person. Social media allows people to hide behind a brightly lit screen, and lacks the emotional backlash and consequences that a real-life conversation provides. Cyberbullying, once a concept that was unheard of, is now in full effect. Instead of having to go out into the world to be bullied, it is now inescapable; on your cell phone and computer, 24/7. The endless stream of updates and postings is bound to leave many feeling left out and inadequate; comparing our lives to those of others on social media, can often lead to feelings of isolation. In addition, many of the views people share on social media can be quite polarizing, making people not want to share at all.

So yes, while social media does bring people together, some of the unintended consequences have the potential of pulling people apart – and creating estrangements, arguably the opposite of what most social networking sites intended.

3 thoughts on “Is There Such Thing As Too Much Togetherness?”

  1. I really enjoyed your post! Your focus on social media and mental health is really important. I think this definitely changes the landscape of bullying in many middle schools and high schools. It would have been interesting to also see an article on specific cases of cyberbullying and maybe what certain schools or groups are doing to combat it. It’s a timely and pressing issue and I’m really glad you brought it to light in your post.

  2. Hannah,

    You brought up a point that I feel like I have embarrassingly forgot about. I remember throughout HS and middle school we would have those cyber-bullying prevention presentations once a year, but now in college it’s something we do not talk about really ever. You should check out this Australian anti-bullying campaign called “Reword” which focused on removing hurtful messages to school children on social media platforms! I think it would be something useful in the U.S.: http://reword.it/#!/

  3. I agree that social media can be harmful to our youth, but more likely in a sneakier form than cyberbullying. The unintentional mental anguish created by our everyday posts that create the feeling of loneliness among its consumers is truly the primary and underappreciated concern with this new(ish) medium.

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