It's hard to believe that I'm almost ten years out of high school. (Well, barely eight, but still...)
I started talking to some of my classmates and decided that we should start now with the planning of our reunion in 2016. As I went through my phone contact list, I realized that I could contact maybe 10 (at most) of my classmates without using Facebook. I still had to open my yearbook to remember names (don't judge me!)
Anywho, the point of that story is, without Facebook, I wouldn't know how to reach former classmates to ask for their assistance in planning our reunion. For that reason, I can vibe with Facebook. There are other reasons why I see the benefit of Facebook and other social media platforms.
I learn many new things from those I follow on Twitter, especially the various media outlets. Tweeters (is that what we are called?) get the news as it unfolds, instead of waiting for the 5 o' clock news. It is also a place where discussion can be healthy and lively. Two people can agree to disagree, all within 140 characters. Instragram has its perks as well, including the fact that a person no longer needs words to tell their story. I also appreciated social media during my trip to South Africa in 2012 when I had the opportunity to share my journey with my family and friends. Twitter came in handy once when I was tweeting about my dissatisfaction with a Delta flight. Someone responded and I actually got a $50 flight voucher (not bad at all!) Finally, one of the best parts of Twitter is the pure comedy that ensues when an awards show comes on.
But then there is not so pretty side of social media. I find that it is easy to judge others when they spell things incorrectly, use the wrong verb tense, or just simply share what I perceive to be very personal information. (I am guilty of all of these judgements). We all know that one person who can't figure out the difference between your and you're (#petpeeve). We all know that one person who finds something wrong with everything in life. I can't forget that passive aggressive person who is talking to another individual who probably doesn't even read their status updates or tweets.
While I haven't experienced cyberbullying personally, I do understand how real this. An opinion piece published in today's Kansas City Star talked about how social media is killing Daisy Coleman, a high school student in Maryville, MO and alleged sexual assault victim. Daisy is currently recovering from a suicide attempt after swallowing pills.
Apparently, she got more backlash (do a Goggle search for the entire story) on Facebook after attending a party over the weekend and ended up in the hospital days later. Whatever happened or didn't happen in regards to this case is for the courts to decide. Either way, other people do not have the right to these platforms to harass another human being.
To bring it back home...
I find that I have to step away from social media every now and then just to get away from other people's lives. Of course, there is the entertainment value and glimpse into what old friends and acquaintances are up to, but I always wonder if we get people's true self via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the countless other networks.
Think about it like this: your social media presence is your chance to build your brand. You are your own PR rep. Why wouldn't you want to show off your best side? Your vacation trips? The flowers your man got you? The new shoes you bought.? Your straight A's?
While that is all well and good, it's not totally representative of your life. We experience ups and downs that maybe shouldn't be blasted over the internet. There is a very fine line of showing that you have it all together and remembering that there are real emotions behind every status update and tweet.
I do sometimes wonder what life would be like if social media didn't exist. Maybe there would be a little less judgment, a few more phone calls instead a timeline posts, and for the sake of Daisy and other teenagers like her, even less cyberbullying.
