Social Media Never Kisses Back
Social media is the elusive lover who never kisses back. It's like sending love letters into the void, hoping for a response but often getting lost in the abyss of likes and retweets. Our relationship status with social media is complicated.
Last week, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on Congress to pass a bill requiring a warning label on social media apps. “The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor,” wrote Murthy.
Social media is the virtual playground where many of us gather to display our most dazzling moments, filter our faces to perfection, and engage in the ancient art of stalking our exes. It’s a bizarre world where "likes" are currency, hashtags are the new hieroglyphics, and oversharing is the norm.
Facebook is where your grandma shares minion memes and your uncle debates politics like it’s an Olympic sport. Instagram is, where every meal must be photographed before consumption. Twitter (now X) is the virtual soapbox where hashtags trend faster than you can say "cancel culture." TikTok is where lip-syncing teenagers reign supreme, and even your dog can become an overnight sensation.
But it’s not just the platforms that make social media so absurd; it’s the behavior of its inhabitants. We’ve all fallen victim to the dreaded “scroll hole,” where one innocent swipe turns into an hour-long descent into the depths of cat videos and conspiracy theories. And let’s not forget the dopamine hit of getting likes and comments, turning us all into Pavlov’s dogs, salivating over notifications.
Then there’s the phenomenon of "influencers," those modern-day Pied Pipers leading us all down the path of consumerism with their perfectly curated lives and sponsored content. But hey, who needs financial stability when you have 10,000 followers and a discount code for protein shakes?
No social media discussion would be complete without addressing the cesspool of negativity lurking beneath its glossy surface. From keyboard warriors to trolls with more free time than sense, the comment sections are where civility goes to die a slow and painful death. But fear not, for every troll, there’s a white knight ready to defend their honor with a flurry of passive-aggressive retorts.
But for all its faults and follies, social media is also a place of connection. But, as we navigate this virtual circus of likes and retweets, let’s remember to take it all with a grain of salt, a pinch of humor, and a healthy dose of self-awareness. After all, life is too short to take social media too seriously. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a selfie to retake until my chin looks less like a pelican pouch.
Does this article make you interested in taking the Engaged Neighbor pledge? Five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com.
Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.
Social Media is also where people always put their 'best' forward. We only show our best smiles, when we are in our nicer clothes and hide the clutter of our lives. I have met many from foreign lands who believe the we in the US are all beauty and fashion.
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