Five Problems With Social Media – Day 1 of the 30 Day Writing Challenge

Social media has become the world’s main communication source in the world we live in. Certainly there are some wonderful attributes of our ability to electronically communicate, but today I will share what I find to be the five greatest problems with our use of Social Media.

Number one on my list of problems with Social Media is that it tends to break down the personal aspect of relationships. The greatest evidence of this can often be seen in a restaurant. The sharing of a meal has always been the one part of people’s day that the family is together at. The table is great place to share the events of the day, to discuss current events, and to discuss the issues of life that plague each of us. Yet how often we see entire families sitting at the table and each one of them is buried in their phone. Rather than using the mealtime to reconnect with each other, the time is spent with outside distractions.

My second problem with Social Media is that people seem to think it is ok to say anything there. Social media has become the place to vent all your frustrations and while sometimes that could be a positive, too many people use it to tell the world things that should remain between two people. Married people like to tell the world their marital problems and what is wrong with their spouse. This does no good to a relationship. If things in your relationships are that bad, then you should go to counseling and get help to resolve them.

The third problem with Social Media is that it breeds egotism. In truth you are not that important that we need a daily update on the mundane comings and goings of your life. We don’t need to see forty selfies of you. Get over yourself.

The fourth problem with Social Media is that it is a very poor method of communication. Things said on Facebook can be misconstrued. Without body language and the ability to react to it oftentimes people are hurt and offended by something that was intended to be said in jest.

The fifth problem with Social Media is that for some reason it is addicting. I often find myself looking at Facebook over and over through the day and don’t even know why. I read a study that they now believe that it looking at Facebook actually releases chemicals in your brain similar to those as in certain drugs.

In truth there is a lot good about social media and there is a lot bad about it. It’s really about self-control. Social media is a tool. Tools can fix things but they can also break things. We just need to use them correctly.