Social Media Mania

Wake up, check. At work, post. At school, tweet. Drive home, like. Lay down, Snapchat. Nope, this is not the remix to Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools,” but unfortunately for some, this is a disturbing reality.

The intrigue of social media possesses many qualities that attract addicts to their vices. Do you know someone (or perhaps it’s yourself) who’s constantly checking for the latest post or tweet? Are you constantly refreshing for fear of missing a status update? The drive to do so has been associated with the same addictive traits that create dependencies and uncontrollable impulses. These traits have been seen in the vices of alcoholics or other substance abusers. It can affect relationships with friends and family. Seriously, how many times have you seen a dinner table full of people staring at a phone screen? Are you guilty of this, too?

To like or not to like: A lil’ ol’ like can cause an uproar and be a major issue in your personal life if you let it. It can also test your emotions and self-confidence. If your significant other “likes” a picture that you don’t particularly approve of, or makes a comment about a post that you don’t agree with and it starts a problem in your situation, this is an issue! When social media becomes a factor in the stability of your relationship, it’s clear that it has gained too much control over you.

Lost ones: There are those so absorbed in social media that most of their everyday lives are in some way involved with it. Whether it be posting every day, several times a day, or obsessively lurking to see what others are doing, they’re so lost that they become fixated on others while letting themselves go – or, even worse, feeling distaste for themselves because of constantly comparing themselves to others.

Bottom line: Live your own reality and let social media be for entertainment purposes only.

It’s safe to say that social media is the new-age diary. The only difference between Twitter and the tattered journal you used to hide under your pillow is that everything you post is consumed by people all over the world. Imagine, once upon a time, you used to want to hide all of the intricate details of your daily life away in a book. Now, you’re posting it for the sole purpose of sharing it with the people you know (and the few you’ve never even met). You post photos, your goals, outfits, meals, career battles and even your relationship woes, but at what cost?

At what point does sharing yourself with the world, just for the sake of sharing, and your followers consuming it, just for the sake of consuming, become harmful? When you drag an unwilling participant into the conversation, such as your partner, things can get extra messy. 

You’ve seen it a dozen times: the angry/bitter girl or guy ranting on your timeline about their latest relationship fiasco. Why is it easier for most of us to run to social media to rant and rave about the issues that we face in our relationships instead of going to the source: our partner?

Imagine the position you put someone in when they realize you’re upset with them based off of something you tweeted or snapchatted, or even after seeing a meme you posted to Instagram? Social media was created to make the gap between people a little tighter, but instead it plays as a crutch in communication and ultimately the demise of many relationships.

So instead of whining about what’s wrong on social media, try solving the problem first. Your partner will thank you, your heart will thank you and even your followers will thank you.

Subscribe To UStyle Magazine

Subscribe to UStyle Magazine and stay Up-To-Date and In-The-Know with the latest!

First Name

Last Name

Email