“4.2 billion people access social media sites via mobile devices with 189 million Facebook users being ‘mobile only’” – Albert Costill
Whether you love it or hate it, it’s apparent that social media is here to stay and it’s becoming increasingly essential to have contact with it and cultivate your online presence. Social media is becoming the best way that people access their news, ideas and communicate with their friends. Businesses use it to promote their brand, news networks constantly share instant updates and our friends keep us in touch with their lives (like what they ate for breakfast).
Undoubtedly, social media has become not only crucial for staying in touch with our friends, but it also has become a catalyst to promote ourselves in the workplace. Especially for me, as an aspiring journalist, it would be detrimental to have no online presence. I need social media to promote my work, share my opinion and connect with other news networks and journalist.
With that being said, my week without social media gave me a unique perspective as to what the effect of constant and never ending information in the form of Tweets, Snapchats, Instagram posts and status updates does to me.
Without social media I didn’t feel the need to compare myself to what my friends were doing and I didn’t worry about checking my notifications on Facebook, it was very freeing. It helped me live in the moment more and really focus on communicating with people in person.
More than ever, I noticed how OBSESSED my friends are with checking their phones. I think our generation could use a reminder on social etiquette and the art of conversation. At one point over the weekend, everyone I was with was scrolling through their phones on some form of social media after a lull in the conversation. It’s so weird that completely ignoring someone who is right in front have you has become socially acceptable or that if you feel uncomfortable in a situation you can find solace in burying yourself in your phone.
I hadn’t taken a break from social media since I had been in the Dominican over three years ago. It was a good reminder to put more emphasis on living in the “real world”. I noticed I was more focused in my work; I put more of a stress on meaningful conversation and put less of a pressure on trivial things.
Social media is an essential way to stay connected and promote yourself through a strong online presence but, it’s important to remember to live life outside the screen and away from all the online influences.
Reach the columnist at kassidylee01@gmail.com or on Twitter @kassmcdonald.
