Social networking has changed relationships significantly. The word “friend” has been downgraded to “someone who I know or knew at one point in my life who I now have a connection to via Facebook.” We talk to people on IM or via text messaging instead of hanging out and spending time with them face-to-face.
Some people decide to put their whole life out there for the world to see via social networks, and we kind of defeat the purpose of a real, true, solid friend. What has happened to privacy? It seems to have disappeared. Has this made our friendships deeper? Possibly. It’s no longer just about sending links to the best gaming console reviews or whatever other gaming news that there is out there. It’s about talking to people about big issues and getting information out and about in a way that many people never thought was possible.
Granted, there are people out there who are always trying to get more Instagram followers by doing crazy things or going viral. This isn’t a bad thing though – especially if you’re trying to run a business. There are even people who have started to buy followers in order to try and get their numbers up and make their businesses thrive even more. It’s really interesting to see what is going on and how people have started to figure out just how to use social media in order to meet their own ends, no matter what it is that they may be.
It has also brought about the ever-debated “online friendships” and “online relationships.” The fact is, we’ve learned that you don’t necessarily have to always be around people to learn about them. Friendships are a lot less superficial now, which people find surprising. You’d expect people to be more superficial, but if someone is hiding behind a computer screen, it’s amazing what they will say and what they will tell you.
What does this mean? It all depends on how you look at it. I’ve found that my friendships are a lot richer and that it’s a lot easier to keep in touch. I’ve also found that my friends are a lot easier to get a hold of, mainly because they’re actually online sometimes and checking messages instead of waiting to find a time where you have to get on the phone and chat. It is a lot more convenient and a lot simpler to do as time goes on.
All in all, social media has really done a lot to change how we interact with each other and what it is that we’re trying to do to be our best and achieve the goals that we are setting. It’s definitely worth looking at and it’s good to consider just how easily you can get what you need and how well you can use social media to get the news out and connect with others who are found all over the country and the world.
