Social media then vs. now
- Simply Rediscovering
- Sep 2, 2020
- 5 min read
Since the start of COVID the internet and use of social media has been a way for us all to connect with one another in a completely different way than before. It appears that people are making more personal connections by using the internet because they are sad about what they are missing out on. I just have to point out that a lot of people took way too much for granted, myself included. We took for granted being able to be physically close to other humans all the time, but a lot of us were disconnected from that in the first place. As a society, we weren't aware of why we were experiencing high levels of depression, anxiety, and isolation. The answer you may ask? Social media and the internet.
Due to the increase of smart devices in a world that values social and emotional independence in a fast-paced and competitive society, we have unlearned how to have meaningful human interaction and deep personal connections with one another. We are so focused on the next thing, where I am headed and the steps I need to take to get there, instead of where we are headed as a collective society. We were content to be in a highly individualized and competitive society, we may not have been happy but nobody was really doing anything about it. We are all trying to make it in a world that doesn't want us to make it on our own. We are not supposed to be this strung out on uppers like caffeine and downers like anti-depressants.
Are you confused as to how an anti-depressant can actually contribute to the worsening of your depression?
It can be confusing and scary to think of the thing that is "supposed to help" as actually being harmful to your physical, mental and spiritual improvement.
*If you enjoy this video and want to learn more about how our bodies manifest our stress and anxiety, I highly recommend watching the documentary "Heal" on Netflix.
Prior to the pandemic, we were happy to be plugged in and tuned out. It wasn't normal to be in a room full of people and have all phones off and away. Even walking down the street or across campus, driving or working out, in line at the grocery store or coffee shop. I am guilty of texting and walking or being plugged in during a work out, we all are guilty of these things. Were we really taking advantage of the freedoms we had when we had them?
Once the freedom to see any one at any time in any place was taken away, people acted as if that freedom wasn't always there to begin with. I wrote a blog a while back about silence, how I was often the only one in the room not looking at their phone. It causes me a lot of anxiety (more than normal) to be in a room of my friends or classmates and expecting to spend time with them but being the only one trying to engage in that way. It's uncomfortable to be sitting in a room quietly enjoying their company or trying to engage in conversation at the same time that they are staring at their phones. Often times we are scrolling through our feed with no real purpose assigned to the time spent using this form of technology. I didn't grow up with technology integrated into my daily life like my classmates. I have had a lot of time to reflect on this and how it has affected my relationships positively and negatively with the people I try to make connections with. How have I had this time to reflect? Not being on my phone all the time. Walking to class in the morning and not even holding my phone, it's off and away. There is nothing wrong with spending time on your phone when you are in a room with other people, I am guilty of this, we all are. However there is a difference between reading the room and spending quality time interacting and connecting with the other humans in your physical space rather than trying to make superficial connections over the internet.
As soon as the pandemic hit and people were forced inside, the only way to stay connected was through social media. Tiger King and Animal Crossing were the beginning of quarantine staples, if you hadn't seen the show or played the game you definitely had heard about it or seen memes on Facebook. Once quarantine started it became trendy to want to spend time with the people you love the most and do creative things at home. We all had the capacity before to do these things, and some of us were. It became trendy to "learn to cook", as if good nutrition and spending quality time with your family was something new to experience. People were sharing their recipes and pictures of what they were doing inside, it became a way to stay connected to the rest of the world. It was truly beautiful to see the ways in which people were coming together and providing support and love for one another. How long did that last? Where did it all go?
Now, social media has become a place for political jabs, news hysteria and the platform for this generations Civil Rights Movement. People have become obsessed with posting their anger towards the other side on social media and it is making worse the divide between the far left democrats and the far right republicans. This has caused further destruction and separation despite the positivity and activism that has risen by bringing together millions of people over the entirety of the globe that were outraged by the murder of George Floyd. No one should be justifying the death of George Floyd, period. It was brutal and unjust and he was posing no real threat to himself or the police at the scene. The video is disturbing but real, this is what really happens to people all around the globe and no, not just people of color.
Where will social media take us now? With the election coming up in two months time, this is a critical moment in history to decide what we stand for as citizens of the United States and who we elect is going to determine how we get through this economical disaster brought on by COVID and the current administration as well as the current civil rights movement. I guess we will have to plug in and find out. Just don't keep plugged in forever, try to unplug and enjoy the real world.
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