What's social about social media? If it was intended for making global citizens more "social", then perhaps it didn't quite fit the bill. Or maybe the definition of being social is a bit different in these platforms.
I kept introspecting, retrospecting, and all the other forms of reflective thinking involved (well, most of them atleast), and I couldn't think of a single "social connection" through the social network.
Of course, I joined the game quite late, my social media presence is laughable at best, and I find myself unable to "devote" the requisite number of minutes (or hours? is it possible though?) towards the platform. On the other hand, when I think of the new people I have met, it has always been through mostly conventional means. Of course, technology has helped and has done its part.
It certainly is helpful when we consume it, but when it consumes us, that's when the framework falls apart, perhaps.
I wouldn't say social media hasn't helped me at all. Because it has. I converse with friends and acquaintances, with whom I would have conversed anyway, even if social media wasn't there. It's just a bit more convenient sometimes. I have seen my friends meet new people too, though I am unaware about the degree of connectivity. It certainly is helpful when we consume it, but when it consumes us, that's when the framework falls apart, perhaps.
I witness multitudes of isolated islands, or mostly unreachable islands of individuals, in the conventional social gatherings. These islands are individuals engrossed in the grasping networked hands of these platforms (apparently socializing virtually) while the real gatherings see minimum to no socialization at all.
I witness individuals alienating themselves even in their home planets. Wasn't the intention to bring people closer? But as I see it, if anything, it is making us farther and further from every being and everything.
...it is making us farther and further from every being and everything.
Virtual Reality (a hilarious oxymoron) might be another add on. Even though I was late to the social media game, I boarded the VR bandwagon quite early. I bought my first VR headset in early 2016. I explored different games and experiences, though there weren't as many back then. (Being named after eyes, it didn't help them at all.)
However, within 2 weeks it scared me. I still held on, trying to convince myself that I just need to get used to it; new things are tricky anyway. However, within the next two months, my fear converted into concern, and I stopped using it. I just couldn't understand the need of that kind of attachment-detachment combination.
Now, as the twilight days of another year on this planet is upon us, I wondered what aspects were tricky (personal understanding wise) for me and to reflect upon them. There were a multiple number of aspects, and this was one of them. That's why, I thought of putting words into those thoughts.
...the twilight days of another year on this planet is upon us...
It's all just based on personal experience, which is limited to say the least, and hence shouldn't be read too much into. If you have been patient and kind enough to read these muted ramblings (muted? really? *my brain scoffs on that word usage*), please let me know of your thoughts and experiences. It might be helpful for social-media-challenged people like me.
P. S. Please don't try to guess which generation I belong to based on my thoughts and words. That seems to be a trend these days, especially upheld by millenials. Thoughts and experiences are not generation dependent.
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