Social media is not a new concept, but in the last twenty years, numerous social media platforms have been created that allow you to connect with not only with your local family and friends, but with people from around the world. These connections have worked to broaden our networks, but they have also harmed our interpersonal relationships to a certain degree.
Arguably one of the most influential social media platforms, Twitter has allowed for people to have conversations and make connections around various topics and issues. For example, Twitter was the launching pad for social justice movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, and more recently, has worked to raise awareness about the Flint water crisis.
Social media allows everyone to become a cosmopolitan, sharing POVs and making a difference on and offline @EthanZ #NHsmc
— Maya (@MayaMireille) January 28, 2016
Admittedly, platforms like Twitter can do a lot of good. On the flip side, they can also harm interpersonal relationships. In a 2014 interview, author Kim Stolz quipped that social media addictions can lead to having “nothing to talk about [with your significant other] because you’ve spoken about everything all day through social media or you’ve looked through each other’s social media feeds.”
The effect of social media on several lives cannot be underestimated. The negative impact is more than the brighter side.
— mousa (@musausman_) January 3, 2016
It’s easy to feel as though you are all caught up with your loved ones because you’ve watched their Snapchat stories or double-tapped their Instagram pictures, but it’s also important to remember that most people’s Internet personas are a shadow of their real life selves. Social media plays a large role in today’s society, but frankly, there is nothing like face-to-face interaction to remind us that behind our avatars, we are all human.