Week 1B: Social Media Use Today

 Social media use today can range anywhere from being enriching to destructive. The ways in which we use it seem to be infinite, and the ease of connecting with just about anyone with the click of a button is pretty incredible when you think about it.

 The good: being able to keep up with friends and family or reconnecting with old ones, networking, meeting new people with similar interests (or completely different ones!), keeping up to date on news and events (both locally and globally), learning a new skill, finding inspiration, seeing recommendations and reviews for almost anything, or just a good laugh (or cry depending on your mood) – I think the list could go on and on, but I digress. My point is, when used for good, we can use social media to broaden our horizons and help us feel more connected to one another. But not everyone uses it this way which leads us to the bad and sometimes dangerous: bullying, judging others unfairly, self-absorption, comparing ourselves to unrealistic ideas, social isolation, and spreading misinformation and hate.

 I think most platforms that we use today were initially intended for personal use, but as with anything, we found a way to monetize it. Now, these sites are used for personal and business interests equally. However, my cynical side would argue that many of these platforms are used mainly for business since they farm all the data we willingly provide, allowing them to advertise to us more effectively.

 The main two reasons I use social media are for entertainment and local information. Facebook, Reddit, and Whatsapp are my most frequented social media apps.  I use Facebook occasionally to share pictures or news I find interesting/funny and keep up with people I don’t see regularly. With Reddit, I’m mostly a lurker and like to read the funnier subreddits and my local community ones. I use Whatsapp with all of my close friends and family; we have several different groups and chat and share back and forth all the time. If I’m in need of a bit of design inspiration, I’ll browse around Instagram or Pinterest and do the same on Goodreads to see if any of my friends have an excellent book recommendation.

 It’s certainly interesting to see how everyone uses social media differently, especially across generations. It seems every age group gravitates toward different platforms. Depending on what you follow, social media can shape and define how you see your life and live it.

What's social media??