Is "Social Media" backfiring?

[anonymous]

Being a sophomore girl in highschool, the social media is a huge component of my everyday life. The funny part is, I'm not even directly involved with social media. I don't have a Facebook, or a Twitter, or even an Instagram. However, I feel like it's ruining all of my relationships. I used to have a Facebook but I got so depressed comparing myself to people all the time. There will always be people that are more popular than you, that are prettier than you, and have more "likes."

I feel like the social media was born with good-intentions, but the constant need to be connected has made us unaware of our surroundings, and less competent in navigating our physical relationships with the people around us. "Likes" are like currency, even drugs for some. And am I the only one that finds the connotation of Instagram's "Followers" eerie? It's like you are the head of your own personal cult of something...

Also, the worst part of the social media is it's tendency to breed narcissism. One of my closest friends has become almost unbearable with her need to document her every meal, every thought, and every mildy interesting experience. The social media enables us as a society, it almost encourages the dark part of our human nature to come out by feeding on our desire for acceptance.

Even though the Social Media was supposed to help us be, well, more social, do you guys think it's backfiring? I feel like Ray Bradbury would write about it if he was still alive.

[Cheddar]

More voices need to speak this message. Social media was already a monster. Facebook made it into a danger (dependency/stalking/identity theft).

[ஜ Raindrop ஜ]

Social media can easily be used in a negative way.

[Kitty ♥]

yes! It's waaaaaaay too addicting and creates awkwardness in reality because then, we get too suited to talk online with people instead of having face to face conversations.

I had a tumblr for 2 years but just deleted it yesterday and it's helping me a lot since it used to be so addicting. facebook, wow it just creates calamities ok I don't see any pros of facebook tbh like you said, it just shows who's the most popular and stuff like that