Social media has become a huge part of all of our lives, even if you do not have social media. I was not the biggest social media fan and truthfully, I’m still not but with the direction the social media world is coming to, you almost can’t ignore it. Social media has gone from being used by a small amount of college students in the early 2000s to a common way for Americans to spend their free time, connect with people, and see what is going on in the world.

With the significant role social media play in our lives, it’s no wonder how big of an influence it is in today’s world. Facebook, twitter, Instagram, snapchat, etc. are all social networks that influence millions of people across the world. From pictures being posted to personal status reports and blogs seen all over the web, the media world is definitely changing. We currently live in a world where social networks have completely taken over our lives and privacy. We no longer can go a single day without being on our social networks.

On a personal level, I involve myself with snapchat, Instagram, twitter, and Facebook. I use all of these social media networks for different reasons. With Twitter, I am able to connect with my friends and with playing basketball at Northern Kentucky University where they have passionate fans, I was able to tweet and connect with them. Twitter is also an app where I find my news and different things that are going on in the world. Instagram is an app I use strictly for my friends. Instagram keeps you up to date on someone’s life (or what they want you to see anyways). I have hundreds of high school friends that I personally can’t keep up with, so Instagram is a way for me to stay up to date with what’s going on in their lives. Facebook is probably one of my most used social networks. Facebook is used for interacting and connecting with family such as my older aunts, cousins, uncles, and grandparents. I also find Facebook being the funniest because the older side of my family always posts funny things. Snapchat is just another network I use to communicate and share pictures with friends and family. I always have a barrier between my social networks and my personal life in terms of family and stuff people don’t need to know.

The social media world has grown tremendously in our lives. Social media is now one of the top reasons why you may or may not get a job offer. Posting certain types of things can hurt your future and portray a bad image. With social media being so powerful nowadays, I think it’s very important that more colleges, universities, and high schools all over the world educate different generations about how strong the social media world is today.

Although there can be a lot of good that comes with social media, it can also be negative. With more and more people spending time on social media, it eats away at face-to-face interaction. I remember being a child and all I did was play outside by myself or with friends. There was very little screen time in my life. Now, everywhere I go, I see a three-year old with a tablet in their hand. There are of course instances when this is okay, but I just saw a child staring at their tablet with their headphones on when I was out to dinner the other day. This is the world that we live in. It is very important to know how to interact with people and be able to build that connection. When it comes time to applying for a job and going through the interview process although it may be virtual it will still be face-to-face, and you will be expected to know how to communicate effectively. Social media can diminish these capabilities of personal interaction. Also, people are braver and more confident behind a screen which can lead to cyberbullying. Being on social media sites can lead to feelings of anxiety, poor body image and loneliness so while it can be good, there are also several negative sides to it.

Social media can be a great outlet if it is used properly and sparingly in my opinion. There are of course positives as well as negatives just like everything else in this world. It is good to have a balance and use social media productively.