Fad or Way of Life?

Social media is definitely not just a fad. There are different facets of social media, apps, websites, etc. which come and go, however social media itself is hugely popular and very adamant about staying around. So stubborn in fact that it involves a ridiculous amount of our time, distracting us from family interactions, class, work, driving - the list goes on. As I am writing this blog post I am conversing with a friend on Facebook Messenger and sending pictures to another through Snapchat, and yes, when I get bored or stuck on this post I will probably check my Instagram and Twitter accounts to procrastinate. 

Yes, I recognize that social media is really only popular in places in which we have access to internet or cellular data - however in these areas it has taken over and is reigning powerfully. Children today are learning how to use apps on tablets and utilizing them more than they will go outside. My five year old niece knows how to operate her iPad better than my father (a man who can take apart a computer and put it back together), and prefers it to playing Barbies or using her imagination in some other way. 

Don't get me wrong, social media can be a great way to connect with people who are far away or whom we haven't spoken to in years. Social media can even bring people together - my friend met her boyfriend online, he lived in Ireland before meeting her and is now here in Canada because of her. 

I'm not so sure that it is the biggest change since the industrial revolution, I mean, we are simply more obsessed with ourselves than we ever have been before, but it isn't really new technology, it is just our attachment to it that is causing it to be such a big uproar. The Industrial Revolution came with massive changes to the world - a good chunk for the positive (though of course there were downsides) - leading us to discover new technologies, new ways of life. The social media craze, although I feel it is here to stay and will only get more popular (I mean, how long ago was MSN.... and tell me, what exactly is Facebook Messenger or Skype?), isn't doing anything for the human race except showing us how narcissistic we all are...

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First post for my Social Media & Society Blog~!