Blog #6- Convenience or Independence?

Convenience or Independence?

We have just recently started researching the influences of social media on our society, and as it continues to intertwine with our everyday lives we will have to make choices on which paths we want to go down: convenience or the ability to make decisions for ourselves? There are many pros and cons towards advancements in technology, specifically related to social media, but as I compare my childhood to kids today I can’t help but feel sorry for what they are missing out on. Walking over to a friend’s house down the street in Elementary School, the excitement of going to swim practice 1 ½ hours early to play around in Middle School and hanging out at the movie theater on Friday nights in High School; these are just some of the memories that shaped who I am as a person today. (I will note that I received a cell phone in 7^th grade but obviously I was not able to use it throughout my adolescent years as kids are able to today). I was not concerned about what other people around the world looked like, whether they were my age or not, and I most certainly was not trying to connect with people outside my own social network.

The advancements in technology, as great as they may seem, have created a world of convenience. Individuals want everything immediately, which only accelerates this convenience. This phenomena of “mimetic desire” (wanting something that someone else has) will only increase as we are exposed to all the great things that we view other people doing. I believe people forget that others are posting about only, for the most part, the great things that have happened to them. Most individuals are not posting about how they gained 15 pounds from stress eating, did a bad job on their make-up that morning, or got fired from a job they liked. Instead, they are showing off how great they look (specifically with filters attached), how happy/in love they are and how great their lives are going at the moment. What happens is people start comparing their lives to the best parts of someone else’s, and that is going to further hinder people’s self-esteem, reality of life and overall happiness.

Through our social network connections, we are forced to view specific information made by algorisms, but by only seeing a small portion of the information we are hindering future selves. SNS have increased the likelihood that we will receive information we might not have had access to before, but is it at the cost of not thinking for ourselves? Having the convenience of the information right in front of us is great, but not at the cost of only seeing one side. We are just given information instead of searching for answers, I believe that is a dangerous line we have continued to flirt with.

Although I am just as guilty as the next person to love the convenience of technology, specifically social media, I do worry that we won’t continue to seek out opposing ideas and believes as we once did. Today, we know too much about a person’s life, which sometimes causes people to unfriend/unfollow/not view what they have to say. Homophily is dangerous and will lead to more divisiveness, no matter what side of the aisle you are on.