The social media and its unsocial human

Social media has been a space for people to come together and interact, share ideas, and imagination. However, with time, these platforms have become a reason for the obsession for many people. Also, the world of social media can be deceiving. People only talk of their lavish lifestyles, what they had for dinner, their next holiday destination, a career accomplishment, or marriage. This digital seems to have less space for face-to-face interaction, which involves the ugly phases and realities of life. Often, people compare their lifestyle with others online and silence themselves in both spheres.  

Socializing has become limited to abbreviations, and feelings have shrunk into emoticons. Social Media has led to shortened vocabulary as opposed to facing to face conversations over a coffee table.

Often, people experience discomfort and hesitate when a phone starts ringing a conversation occurs in the head to face the phone call.  It is an example of the distance that social media has created. People who are welcoming enough on their online networking accounts, in-text messaging but uninterested in a phone call. An immediate panic comes over us at the thought of our phones being taken away for even an hour. The increasing dependency on the digital space for virtual friendships, associations, and popularity takes away the very spirit of human interaction. We present on our social media accounts an idyllic life, perfect parents, great relationships. We hardly give bad news about our life because that does not make for likes. The number of likes somehow equals our self-esteem. Valuable advice from a friend or a parent would mean nothing over tips and suggestions from the most popular social media influencer whose life appears to be nothing but perfect. 

It would be a better life if we had more hands to hold rather than buttons to click. Virtual networking has widened the gap of relationships as a dinner table witnesses everyone eating together, updating the menu on their phones. The first sip of coffee together is taken only after capturing its picture. The cheesiest pizza is tasted only after updating its photo on Instagram.  Life has shrunk to the digital space where people have thousands of friends, millions of followers, yet nobody to sit and talk to when real conversations are concerned. Technological advancements have been again for connecting people who are far, sharing ideas, information however missing out on connections and distancing from people in real life does not do good,

There is an urgent need for a pause, a need to go out in the open and sit with friends, take the time to gaze at the clouds and the blue sky. Social media and what it promises cannot fulfil real human interaction.

It is a tool to enhance real-life relationships only when one knows how to strike a balance and look off the screen. 

By-Alankrita Tiwari