Hello, all… Sorry it’s been forever.
The life of a student can be very stressful and challenging at times, as many of you know or will soon find out. Many difficult projects, jobs, activities, classes, and people will often prevent you from getting back to what you love to do.
My priorities are school and work first; this blog comes much lower on the list. And I assure you that this is a good thing, because all that time used here would be spent posting about failing classes and such, which isn’t so entertaining when you think about it.
Instead, I made it on the Dean’s List for spring semester and passed all my summer classes as well with flying colors. (Yes, summer classes…but I’ll get to that later, in another post). So, I believe I made the right decision. And, I’m back, and I’ll be posting when I can.
Now for today’s topic….social media.
A while back in my Media Ethics class, we discussed social media and the impact it has on us in all areas: business, relationships, friendships, family relationships, privacy, personal well-being, journalism, and so on. Social media is a huge deal. And Facebook , one of the biggest social media platforms, was originally created for Harvard college students (common knowledge if you’ve seen David Fincher’s Facebook drama, The Social Network) before it became the beast it is today.
It seems obvious that there are many benefits and problems associated with social media. Citizen journalism is how we learned about Syria and other world events. It’s also how some people are wrongfully accused and bashed for crimes they didn’t commit. Privacy is nearly nonexistent after the advent of social media. But it’s a great way to reconnect with friends and family…and stalk people. I could go on and on.
There was a vicious, bloody battle in class that day. “It’s their choice,” some said. “It’s a blemish on society,” others argued. “It’s good for some things, but is it worth the risk?” a few asked.
My argument? Well, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Suffice to say, I thought the risks outweighed the benefits in many areas, and wished for a less invasive social media platform. I’m very tired of how social media has negatively impacted me and those around me, and how it has allowed people to change for the worse.
Then again…maybe it’s just bringing out our true natures. Or maybe it’s bringing out the worst in us, and we need to reevaluate how we portray ourselves online and how we treat others.
For good or bad, it’s all out there for us to use.
What do you think? Tell me in the comments. 🙂
The Beaver Squirrel 