Social-networking sites have taken the world by a storm leading to nothing less than a revolution. A lot of concerns have been voiced about social networking sites taking over in our lives. However, one major issue that has been overlooked is the changing mind-set of the youth due to the social networking sites. How is this affecting human interaction? The adolescence years shape our outlook, our personality and mold us into what we are. So when we grow up in a world where our popularity is directly proportional to the number of “likes” and the “haaawt” comments we get on our photoshop-enhanced profile picture and live with people constantly competing for the coveted title of the king/queen of the virtual world, it is bound to have a profound impact of the psyche of an entire generation. The focus and time we spend on creating our brand on these social networking sites is a standing testimony to the awakening of the narcissist in us. At any hangout or get-together more time is spent on clicking snaps and updating the virtual world on what’s going on, rather than enjoying the event. The photos are uploaded within an hour, and then begins the flood of “Likes” and comments. The social networking sites and the culture they have created is thus a breeding ground for a vain, self-obsessed younger generation. We forget that we chose the people we want to interact with on these sites. So the validity of the opinions on these sites need to be reconsidered before we get cozy in a shell of false sense of unwanted self-importance, but this is conveniently forgotten by most of us. On the other hand the time, energy and clicks you spend on getting that perfect picture – all goes away to the drain when your friend’s picture gets more attention. On one hand when vanity is on rise, some tend to lose their self-esteem owing to the lack of online popularity. Since when have we become so petty that our virtual world takes over our real life? Are we that stupid to let these things affect us? Another aspect is the loss of private space. For today’s generation, things that were considered personal a generation before, are all public. Status updates, wall post and tweets yell about every move we make, every step we take and every relation we make or break. We are ourselves violating the sanctity of our personal space in an attempt to keep up with the current fad of publicizing intimate details of our lives for a few minutes of attention among a few hundred people in the virtual world. How healthy a trend is this – is something to ponder over. This is not a dreary, condescending, ‘wake up call’ by some old fashioned, boring person of the last generation; this is just an account of a 20 year old watching the world around me possessed by the spirit of social networking. This is just my take on the renaissance these sites have brought in the culture and outlook of my generation. Years later, looking back at our teen years, do we want to remember spending time bothering about an elusive world where we are judged on how we ‘portray’ ourselves to be? Do we want see ourselves as a vain, self-absorbed people fussing about the pettiest of things, totally nonchalant to the bigger and more important issues of the world? Do we want to be uninformed teens, ignorant about the world and doing nothing constructive? I am sure deep inside each one of us would rather see ourselves doing something productive towards our career, the society, and the world for a better tomorrow. The social networking sites and social media has revolutionized the world, bringing us closer than ever before, making life easier than it ever was. We can exploit this and use it for a better life, a better tomorrow. It should be used to connect, stay in touch easily, share views and not waste time on. There was the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age- all turning points in the history of human civilization. How should the virtual age etch itself in the history of mankind depends on us, the choice is ours now!
Because, I can tell you, as a teenager, 90% of this is complete BS and it's done more by adults at social events then it is by teenagers, at least not in my social group and I live in one of the largest "social media focused" town.
If you truly are part of this generation, then you're not doing your part in your community and you shouldn't be playing KaW if you truly believe it's such a large problem.
I am trying to educate people am i not? And i am hardly ever on this game anymore due to my awareness of this problem now.
What are you educating us on? Social media has saved many people's lives and has had a lot more of a positive outcome than negative. Because, one lousy teenager that can't figure it out for themselves decides it's horrible doesn't mean it is. If you don't like KaW for that reason then don't get on the game and "inform" us.
It also is able to steer us into specific political decisions in which will not benefit us. And yes i agree that it does have positive affects. But it also has just as many negative ones. I am someone who is concerned with the future so if you don't give a crap about the future of this generation and how the social media is taking away a chunk of our humanity then i truly feel bad for you.
And the only way i am able to reach people like you is through games/ sites like this because this is where all of your minds are.
I literally didn't read a single word after I saw that blue. Good lord Edit and make it normal please? It hurts my eyes :cry:
Wowzers, omg she insulted me! Actually, this isn't only where my mind is considering I'm currently in my 2nd year of college at the age of 16 and I've debated this exact argument at Brown over the summer. Social media can't necessarily affect our youth like adults think it can, as everyone still has their own thoughts. Example: I am not hugely involved in politics and I genuinely don't plan to become involved, but just because I see a Hillary Clinton tweet doesn't mean I'm going to automatically vote her into office. Your entire argument is biased to the minds of the "'middle America" as I like to call it, or just the "'middle world". This is the place where the conformists live and whether or not you're on social media it'll happen. Look at civil rights movements, suffrage movements, etc, there were no twitters or instagrams and the same thing happened. As for people becoming Vain? No, they were already vain.
One thing. I take issue with you calling social media a renaissance. Renaissance means enlightenment and there is nothing enlightening about Snapchat.
Incorrect, this generation is very complex. The people of this generation are very diverse, you cannot generalize it. For some of us, yes that may be true, however, is it true for most of us? No, it isn't. Although this generation is may have similar ages, it doesn't have the same amount of maturity. Social media has allowed for even more diversity. It has made some people of this generation seem very mature, while others have been made very childish. Sadly, the childish ones seem to be much louder than the mature ones, making our generation seem pretty dumb. The ones that are childish normally don't fit in the best with the others, so they resort to a place where they can't be judged for their age, social media and games like this. However, we're even more complex than that, I've just scratched the surface.