As inhabitants of the 21st century, we have made sure that we are, at all times, surrounded by technology in all forms, especially social media. The virtual space seems so satisfying to inhabit, that we share whatever comes our way without a second thought. We do, obviously, care about personal space and protecting one’s privacy against unknown intrusions, why wouldn’t we? But of all the questions that come to mind when I see people sharing photos of their rather personal moments, it leads me to wonder what, and to whom, they are trying to show.
Here’s an instance of a guy trying to find love, then finding love, to eventually breaking up. He posts lovelorn messages one day. Later, he shares poetry about his girlfriend. This goes on for a month or two, after which he posts poetry that talks about pain and sadness. He has clearly broken up with his significant other. I am not interested in his story, but through this instance, I want to reiterate my question- do we have ‘personal’ lives left?
We put on our best clothes and best smiles for the camera but are we as happy in real life as we seem to be in the virtual world? People tend to become so attached to this sense of instant gratification that we remain ‘picture-ready’ and the first question that seems to pop up whenever anything happens is ‘Can I post this?’
There’s a research report that shows how the dramatic overuse of social media leads to symptoms of depression, stress and in some cases, even suicide. Looking at such cases, it seems like this addiction might just turn into a full-blown epidemic of sorts. Intervention is necessary to take ourselves out of this, otherwise, the results will be such that we are left with nothing more to shock us. Disruption of relationships also become inevitable.
Everyone active on these platforms should be aware of the know-how of publishing content including pictures, and should keep in mind manners and certain etiquettes. I do not condemn social media use, rather I advocate it for some limits. Awareness on how to smartly use social media platforms will surely alter and even lower cyber crime rates. It’s all up to us.