Social
media…everyone’s favorite topic, right? Wrong. That’s not to say I
abhor it, because I don’t. I’m almost as in tune with the goings-on of
the interweb as the rest of the world, but not everyone feels as warmly toward
these social connections as those born in the technological age do. There
are so many forms of social media these days: MySpace (does it even exist
anymore?), Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and, of course, the ever-present blogosphere.
Personally, I try
to limit the number of social media sites I sign up for, merely as a precaution
against allowing myself too many mediums for procrastination. (I wouldn’t
want to spread myself too thin!) For me, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging
are my main forms of social media.
Facebook always
stirs up a lot of controversy. “It’s evil!” some say. “Nothing good
can come from it.” Let me start out by saying that no one has suggested
that there is never any fault to be found in social media. There is nothing but bullying on Facebook,
right? If that’s true, why do I get a
reminder every time it’s someone’s birthday?
Why is there a “like” button on every post if the only point of social
media is to spread hate? I would say that
both of those are in the realm of support. When Facebook was founded, its main purpose
was to help college students stay connected with their high school
friends. Since then, membership has
expanded, and many adults have used this “evil” site to reconnect with old
friends they haven’t seen in years. Originally
for young people, it has now begun to attract more and more adult users.
Up until about two
months ago, I had sworn off Twitter. Why
should I subject the general public to every little thing I do throughout my
day? But when some friends introduced me
to this social media mogul, I changed my mind.
Twitter actually helps to keep me on my toes. Every tweet leaves room for a witty comeback,
and there are also numerous anti-bullying movements throughout the site.
The blogging world
is fairly new to me, too. I started mine as a project to go along with an
independent study class I’m taking. Are all blogs completely
wholesome? Probably not. But each
one does have something special to bring to the table. The blogosphere is full of specially themed
pages; there’s something for everyone.
There’s no rule that says if you read a blog once, you have to follow
it. If you read something and don’t like
it, simply let it go. Blogs are places
for people to express their opinions in a friendly environment, where they’re
given support by those who agree.
Social media isn’t
nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.
It is actually stocked with plenty of positivity and helps to keep
people who would otherwise miss out on connections connected. As far as I’m concerned, keep on posting!
