The Two Sides of Social Media

Whether it’s catching up with family and friends on Facebook, retweeting the latest news on Twitter, or sharing your favourite photos via Instagram, there’s no doubt that social media has become an essential part of our everyday lives. Nothing feels more heart-warming than seeing your family on Facebook and reading about friends celebrating their achievements or adventures. If you’re more of a news-type person, chances are you’ll be catching up with breaking news or your favourite celebrities on Twitter. Whatever kind of social media gets your attention, it’s our generation’s fastest way of connecting with each other anywhere.

Although we can have a blast sharing a selfie or two, social networking has been known to pose a potential threat to anyone’s enjoyment of it and even wellbeing. Whilst further researching this issue, I found that the struggle to log off can stem from anything from boredom, a coping mechanism for struggles in real life, the desire to feel noticed all the way to the fear of missing out on every piece of news and event going on. As a former journalism student, Twitter became my ‘best friend’ despite being nervous to not fall behind on any piece of news out there. However, regardless of what struggles occur, many are sure to agree it will never erase how much social media has introduced us to, inevitably connecting the whole world together like never before.