By: ERKIN ESENGELDIEV
Staff Writer
I wanted to start with an anecdote. Recently, my friends and I went to hang out at a restaurant after not seeing each other for a long time. We were very excited, and as we sat down, we started sharing news, accomplishments, and some let-downs of our lives. Then, one by one, my friends started pulling out their phones, and diving into their social media, text, and emails. And the next thing I see… is a post celebrating Rhianna’s pregnancy on Instagram. I, myself, was on my phone. Something clicked inside my head and I looked around – everyone at our table was glued to the thing. I looked at other tables – families, groups of friends – were all clicking and sending, despite sitting right beside each other. As I realized this, I put my phone down. I got my friends’ attention and began talking. Then others, one by one, started engaging in the conversation until no one had anything in their hands. We had a genuinely good time. And what’s interesting, is that it took just one person to stop and think about what’s surrounding us, influencing others to do the same. But, it might be harder to pull yourself out of that world.
We got so used to scrolling, typing, watching, and distracting ourselves. It became a default state of our mind. And, the certain worldwide infection that had us isolated for more than a year only cemented that. As we got stuck inside, so many things were taken away from us. No one was sure if they would meet their loved ones anytime soon, businesses went bankrupt. The only thing that kept the world together – was the web. Never ever in history were we so dependent on the internet and social media.
And, it’s not inherently a bad thing. Social media is the most effective way to share information across the globe. When corona hit, people used social media to spread awareness, organize funding, and communicate from long distances. Well, even without mentioning the pandemic, the internet, if used correctly, is amazing. I’m a foreign exchange student, so as I made good friends at school in person, I can continue keeping those true friendships as I come back home, by staying connected on the internet. I may possibly never see them again, but it brings me peace knowing I can always reach out to them.
The fact that you can follow and connect with people from all different countries and cultures is mesmerizing. You can gain a friend with a click of a button, with so many opinions and experiences shared freely without the fear of not being heard because there will more likely be someone who shares your point of view. So yeah, it does connect us and brings us together more than often. But, like all the things in the world – social media has a double side. And this side – is the uncertainty.
So many influencers right now are sharing their perfect life, with their perfect appearance and flawless personalities. They won’t show you what they go through, and they won’t share their insecurities with you. Same with people with their individual pages. Can you actually be sure that the person says the truth about who they really are? Who do they appear to be in photos and descriptions? In fact, there are predators who aim at naive and vulnerable people. Paranoia and anxiety skyr-rocketed with the rise of Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. And it gets worse when you realize that most of these platforms are targeted towards children and teenagers since it is their biggest audience. If adults have a hard time going through it, imagine a 15-year-old being exposed to all of that. The damage it causes to your self-image is dreadful and may be irreversible.
So, what about social media? It seems to have lots of positive aspects, along with many negative ones. So, how can you possibly solve this dilemma? In my opinion, the main problem is the common mistake of people trying to substitute social media virtual reality for real-life human connections.
In conclusion, I am an exchange student. I traveled here from another country and continent, leaving all my friends and family behind. Of course, I keep in touch with them via messengers and social media, but it is still hard being so far away from them. It got harder this past October when I was made aware via social media of the invasion of my country. You wouldn’t know that, because major news outlets did not cover my small country as they did Ukraine, which is literally next door. This time, I was extra anxious and worried for my family. The uncertainty of their safety was my nightmare. As we communicated, my mother reassured me day to day that they were okay. I was never longing to come back and be there with them as hard as I did then. Luckily, the battles died down and the invasion was stopped, but this experience left a big mark on me.
Although I appreciate how social media allows us to connect and share, I would never substitute that for my mother’s real-time, real-life, and physical hug.