"OF SHEEPS OR SERPENTS?: AN INTRODUCTION INTO THE ERA OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION

I open my phone to everyone looking the same!!! BBLs are more popular than the 90s boob job without any indication of slowing down. They even have BBL clothing brands.. All body types are being created on the surgery table and not in the gym! 

Help!!! 

Everyone is dancing and creating aesthetic homes and content. There is no more privacy because the more that you reveal, the more subscribers and followers you’ll attain. So, the goal is to acquire more things and make them look as perfect as possible. Homes are looking better than the popular furniture showrooms.. 

 Ahhhhhh!!! 

The goal might not have been self idolatry however social media has morphed this world into an ongoing segment of influencing, coaching and self proclaimed professionals for every avenue of life!!!!!

Most people DON’T put their phones down long enough to enjoy life and now that AI is becoming more and more prevalent they won’t have to!!! AI will just do it for them. 

Technology is evil and the lasting effects of its chaos are astronomically soaring each day. Good is bad and bad is good! Opinions have become truth and feelings.. While, feelings have become the epicenter of government!! Everything is motivated by your feelings which enables self centered and manipulative behaviors which are validated by the people online. 

Life has truly become an actuality of the movie, “The Surrogates”, which starred Bruce Willis in 2009. To sum it up, the movie is about a perfect society where humans have decided to use robots in their day to day as oppose to living life for themselves and well it’s so crazy how it resembles much of today. 

How many people have avatars on their social media platforms to represent them?

How many people are online to benefit others? 

How many people are depressed and anxious as a result of social media?

My fondest memory of social media is when I spent the summer with my best friend (at the time), we had to have been in our early teens, 17 or 18 maybe? Anyhow, it was a sweltering summer in New York City so we were inside, she was by the computer and I was just casually laying around. She looked up from the computer and said, "You should get a Facebook". My response was very typical of me in that I was confused and intrigued at the same time. "What's that"? I asked, she shrugged and told me that it was a network designed for college students and that it was really a platform to connect with family and old friends. It seemed harmless so I told her to set it up for me and when she was finished she excitedly gave me the crash course on how to navigate the website on my own.

At first it was fun reading up on and seeing pictures of those that I used to have physical connections with even though I never posted much personal information about myself. When I did post, I realized that I didn't really have much to say and when I did say things of value it mostly got ignored. Looking back at old Facebook posts of mine before I deleted it, I did notice that I began to overshare (per my standard) and that I said some things to get attention even though at the time it seemed "normal" to do so because that was just the atmosphere of the platform. 

Nevertheless, I felt like I could still use the platform to my benefit by finding people who were being productive. I started following those people and really became enamored and inspired by what they were doing for themselves UNTIL I saw them in real life and they looked and acted NOTHING like what they were portraying themselves to be online. I was shocked! It seemed like this platform subtly began to replace photo albums, diaries/journals and now authenticity??!!!! 

What is the real purpose? 

It stopped being a platform to highlight what was unique about you and become a network of advertisements and fakeness via staged content. 

 Is making my life look good online worth sacrificing it actually being good in real life? 

I downloaded Twitter shortly after or maybe before Instagram? I can't even remember. Anyways, Twitter was an app that supported writing so I thought great! I have 50 million thoughts a day, this is perfect for me.. so I used it to discuss philosophical and spiritual thoughts, I shared my artwork and discussed the films and documentaries that I watched. This was my second Twitter because I got bored and deleted my first one (naturally). 

On this Twitter, I began noticing how people would treat others that had a difference in opinion/interests and I must say that it was becoming very toxic in the way that people were so comfortable disrespecting one another just to prove their point and yet again I just didn't get it. I particularly got really frustrated after the whole Oscar fiasco and just decided to delete Twitter altogether for good. 

Now these are just my experiences with social media and perhaps I’m too sensitive and care too much or maybe social media does have the power to inhibit society in negative ways. 

If you have never thought about how social media really affects society (whether positive or negative).. please read below to see the Pros and Cons of all online networks.  

THE PROS AND CONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

PROS

1. Social Media can provide great laughs and overall entertainment which can be a way to help people to relax and de-stress. There are some really talented people on there whom use inventive ways to create skits and parodies and its just really really hilarious. 
2. Social Media provides you with an indirect way to stay up to date on friends and family so that we can remain somewhat social from the comfort of our homes. The networks have given us the ability to also connect to people all over the world, how amazing is that? 
3. Social Media platforms enable us to explore our creativity and talents with others allowing the various applications to become a conduit for personal development and growth. It has also been great for marketing opportunities as it gives new and old businesses an opportunity to stay directly connected to existing/potential customers. Selling products/services has been a lot easier thanks to social media platforms.

CONS

1. The convenience of social media has taken away the ability for many to communicate face to face and in a way it unintentionally promotes anti-social behavior. More and more you will see people looking down on their phones and children on their tablets in restaurants, malls, supermarkets etc. It seems like people are not motivated to interact with others the way they used to and let's not forget those who only go outside to create "content" for their social media handles. These platforms have become the epitome of smoke and mirrors as illusions are created daily by those who portray a certain lifestyle and yet live another.
2. There has been a noticeable increase in cyber bullying online and it is alarming. These people have been called "trolls" and their sole purpose is to say intentionally hurtful things about other people online (people that they don't know and have no intention of meeting). Some will go as far as to mock individuals by commenting on their lives, appearances, and hobbies for no particular reason at all. What is this world coming to?
3. Individuality has been on the decline across all social media networks because people are becoming less and less motivated by their authentic selves and more enticed with what will gain them notoriety and internet fame and sadly it is corrupting teens and young/middle aged adults alike. There is this overwhelming pressure to fit in by dressing the same, looking the same, and even travelling to the same places for "aesthetics" and it just NOT real. it’s not. Everything is motivated by likes, follows and retweets so much so that people have forgotten the true essence of just being who they were intended to be.

The deep psychological effects of social media has impacted the minds of EVERYONE today. Whether you are a victim of mindless scrolling or if you have been subconsciously programmed to love/live a certain lifestyle.. it’s all dangerous.. Dangerously boring. 

With everyone doing the same thing life becomes dull and ill inspiring. Too much of a good thing can complicate life and I’m here to tell you to stay balanced and rooted in your purpose.. not in yourself, your purpose. Our lives are much bigger than the followers we have or how much of our personal lives we share. It is SACRED. So, do your best to remember what genuine happiness is. 

I can stare at a wall and be happy. True story. The less that you need to be fulfilled the more desirable your life becomes. 

On the flip side, I have learned so many life hacks via the internet and that’s cool for a DIY-er like myself. I love knowledge and with the proper inner guidance I am able to truly indulge in some wholesome content. 

So, all in all. You’ve got social media cool. You don’t have social media, also cool. Neither defines you however  with each day you get decide what you are going to do with the breath that you have. 

I mistakenly blinked and it’s been a year with my beautiful baby. One that I chose not to share online. So you see, balance! 

And now that the motivation in my life has changed for the better, I look to social media in a different light. I’m no longer obsessing about me instead I choose to focus on how I can make him better or rather how can I be actually better in my real life for him and it’s a lot more than just good intentions. Much of life is sacrifice and discipline. 

Are willing to sacrifice following the crowd to stand alone?

Are you willing to genuinely change? 

You are? Great keep reading because I have a feeling that life will take us through some interesting pinnacles and if we are going to make an impact. That means we are going to have to learn together. 

I’m ready. Are you? 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS MY OPINION AND IT DOESN'T MAKE ME SPECIAL. I JUST LIVE MY LIFE IN CONSTANT RUMINATION AND OBSERVATION. I SHARE MY LIFE IN THE HOPES THAT I CAN HELP OTHERS. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IM DOING EITHER.