How Social Media is Shaping Human Connection

What if I tell you social media controls your mind more than you can imagine? Be it your personal life or professional, it is shaping your thoughts without your knowledge. We cannot say whether Illuminati is real but social media is. We are dealing with it almost every hour. Its presence is so real in our lives that we even scroll it unconsciously. Since social media is such a pervasive part of our lives, knowing its effects is vital. To go deeper into the subject, we need to discuss its pros and cons next.??

Turning Distance into instant connection??

Imagine you have an important message for someone that you need to convey right now but you don't have your phone. Scary right? Just 30 years ago, it would be seen as magic to share your thoughts immediately with others, but today if anybody doesn’t have a mobile, he/she will be perceived as unreal. That is how the time has changed.??

Applications like Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Thread are there in the market. They are all used for different sectors. For example, the education and business sectors prefer Twitter, WhatsApp and LinkedIn to communicate with their employees. As these sites are perceived as more formal. To share things with your family and friends users prefer Facebook and Instagram. Whatever might be the reason instant connectivity is mandatory.??

The world is growing faster than before. Anything happens and the news spreads right away. People unite and raise their voices if anything unjust happens. They demand to look after the matter by the authority. So, in a way it has improved human connection, we cannot deny that.??

At times client’s demand changes at the last moment and immediately needs the work to submit. In such circumstances, instant connectivity comes as a lifesaver. Also, in some cases when students have an exam knocking at the door and they do not have enough resources, they quickly connect with their friends for help. Undoubtedly social media has improved human efficiency and quality of work.??

Social media platforms fading bonds and ruining intimacy??

Human beings have always longed for intimacy. We naturally seek out bonds with others and social media is an ideal platform for fulfilling this need. On social media we get the image of everyone being happy, sharing their achievements, the process of how they have improved, and all the good parts of their lives. Needless to say, we are drawn to this portrayal of positivity.??

There is a proverb, that not all things that glitter are gold. Behind this successful portrayal of lives, there are many things that are often left unsaid. For example, any one hardly talks about the mundane parts of life. Thus, users who are sensible often find themselves in a lonely place compared to the polished version of others' lives.??

Besides, the fear of judgement always looms over the users’ minds. They know either they are judging or they are being judged, there is no escape from that. It is common to see people support each other on social sites but in reality, they barely pay attention to the people who are sitting right next to them.??

Other than that, some people get so obsessed with social media that their profile seems to be the extension of their personality. Whereas they could use the time working on themselves. The conversation is always about ‘Have you seen what I shared or posted regarding this trend?’. Establishing the fact that the topic always centers a virtual reality.??

Social media and data privacy??

From day to night, individuals post everything about their whereabouts on social media. As a result, these platforms take over their lives. This over-sharing raises another problem concerning data privacy. With this information criminals and hackers easily get the whereabouts of the individuals. This brings us to the most concerning aspect. Without our knowledge, these social sites are sharing our personal information with big companies.??

If you notice, you will see posts or advertisements related to what you are thinking about. For example, whatever product you searched online or have thought to buy, would already be in your advertisements section. Surely, it is impossible to know people's minds. However, some of these sites are constantly tracking our search history.??

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Advising users to leave social media will not be wise to battle these daunting issues. These platforms have become deeply embedded in our daily lives, from study to work. Therefore, what we can do is be more conscious of what we are seeing, liking, writing, or sharing. We cannot deny how social media has improved our connectivity, but it has disintegrated our sense of intimacy.?

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