How Social Media has changed the way things are

As a 90’s baby, I have seen a lot of changes in the world, especially when it comes to communicating. I’m sure you’ll laugh at me and say, well you haven’t seen anything yet. I know I haven’t. I’m sure as I get older, I’ll be laughed at, like I laugh at my parents for still trying to understand what Facebook, Twitter and all those other things are. Anyways, Social Media has become one of the ways we are able to communicate our thoughts, our feelings, we share the news, we hear about global issues, the last thing we’d think about is how it can change lives.

Social Media went from a crazy idea to something that consumes time but also helps us get through our day. You might argue that you some people need to get out more, but in a fast-paced environment sometimes all you have left is the online world. I am not tech-savvy and I know as much as the next person, but I do spend hours and hours on the computer, whether thinking of blogging ideas, or writing a paper, checking (or ‘creeping’) Facebook, uploading photos on Instagram or watching my favourite Youtubers. I feel like the internet has brought me closer to people I may not even know in person. So here are some things Social Media has changed things:

1) Remember when we all laughed and doubted at the people who said social media would be the next big thing, well it is. I don’t think it has lost its momentum. The social world, aside from its countless issues (drama, hate speech and other crazy things), has provided many people of my age to be creative. In a world, where we spend hours at school, working on papers and working hard to become part of that work force, we forget to be creative (minus those who actually get to be creative in their jobs).Everything is focused around structure, social media lets you “let loose”. How many times have you seen a vine over and over again because it was just too funny or you ask yourself “well, why didn’t I think of that? when watching a funny youtube clip. Yes, some videos may be pointless but tell that to the million of views cat videos have on the internet. I’m glad we have social media, I am able to express myself through my blogs, through my photos on Instagram even if they are mostly about food (I really like food!) or my little random rants on Twitter about stress or life.

2) JOBS….yep. Jobs. Who knew that social media would be providing many people with jobs. You see some famous you tubers and viners with amazing opportunities. Zoella, Pointless Blog, Robby Ayala, Jenna Marbles, Lilly Singh, all these social media “geeks” have become famous, have amazing book deals, make up launches, contracts with other branding companies. All because they took their free time and turned it into something productive. We see companies hiring people for their social media accounts, for social media posts and I’m sure you can think of many more titles. They’ve taught me that I can take my ideas ands turn them into something big. We see many bloggers becoming our main source of news, some provide us with a new perspective on different topics, some make us think and others make us feel. Who knew there would be jobs like this when I was younger? It has provided so many opportunities that I didn’t think would even be possible.

3) Social Media has allowed us to be ourselves. Though some people could use some limitation and some people we say too much and should be more private, I think being more open about things has brought up many important discussions on issues such as sexual harassment, global issues of war and poverty. It has allowed us to have an opinion whether we agree with each other or not. At least, we are being heard. It has allowed us to find an outlet in a world were sometimes we may not have a voice to speak out but can share it online. Of course, when too extreme there are repercussions. I always have so much to say but I limit myself in order to not cause trouble or start some weird online debate but sometimes it’s what people need. In other cases, some people who start to bully and harass or threaten should just stay away from computers. No one really likes a troll.

4) It has brought us closer together. So I know nothing beats hanging with people in person. But its nice seeing the adventures your friends find themselves going on, or reading a status about something that makes you wonder if they’re okay. Yes, sometimes people share too much but it’s not bad knowing how people are, especially if they live somewhere across the world. Sometimes that’s not possible, It’s funny how I have learned to be a better version of myself, to be happy and not to be ashamed of who I am from people who I’ve never met. Of course, I thank my parents for that as well. In a world, where there are so many societal standards of beauty, life and who you’re supposed to be, you forget to really be free. Then you watch a video of people going above and beyond to talk about weird topics such as school dances or first dates and you laugh because it brought up a funny memory  or you realize some weird event didn’t just happen to you. It happened to 500 other people.

5) Similar to jobs, Social Media has determined how successful things can be. Those millions of views, shares, those crazy random have made shows successful, they’ve made musicians, celebrities, politicians, etc., who they are today because someone one day shared a link then someone else did and so the domino effect began. You share so much information whether good or bad and someone  out there is already reading it and it can make you quite successful because someone out there will know your name. I think we’ve seen these with TV shows, people tweeting countless about how they love it or how good an episode was, or even provide suggestions to those in charge of the show that they have become part of the process when shows are being made. It again has allowed for interaction. It’s actually really cool.

Like everything, there are always pros and cons of it all. Some people share too much information. My advice is don’t share too much of your personal life but experiences are okay. You also have to be careful in this world, there are some people who don’t understand the concept of privacy and like to cause damage. So stay safe online, think about what you’re saying before posting, don’t be afraid to take risks because you might land a job or a book deal without even knowing it. Have fun! Don’t be too much of a troll.

Cheers,

Beingmaarthaa