‘I share, therefore I am’: the problem with social media

A phenomenon has silently revolutionized the way in which we communicate: social networks. What was initially intended as a way to stay in touch with family and friends; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, are often not just a means of communication, but the content itself. Everything has a social media page.

The impact social media has on people, particularly young people, is remarkable: 90 percent of young people are social networks users and have a public image, for which they care a lot. What do we do on social media? I often wonder. Then I realise it: we sponsor ourselves. It all starts with your profile: we are all looking for the best way to introduce ourselves to those that are going to follow our virtual adventures. We present them with accounts of our real life, in real time. The main goal is appearing (not being) interesting.

The constant stream of advertisement we have been exposed to since we were children has had an impact: we ourselves have become breathing advertisements. We share our lives with the world: the music we love, our thoughts, our friends, the pictures of us waking up, eating food, graduating, places where we have been or dream of visiting. We often send hidden messages: sending songs to someone we like, a status in response to that person whom we cannot stand or even a selfie. The courage to speak openly has vanished. A “like” now means more than a direct conversation or a slap. To be or not to be? Once upon a time ‘being’ was more important, then it was about ‘being there’, now it is purely about ‘saying’ we are there. We used to have a secret diary, now we have a social-media page.

It’s all there within reach. But if everything is shared, what’s kept private? We expose ourselves, desperately seeking consent. It seems that we have lost touch with reality.

How did we express our lives before the advent of these new forms of social interaction? How did we pour out our sorrows or joys? Going through my Facebook homepage I am faced with whinings about heartbreaks, bad grades, weather, sports and ‘deep’ reflections on life. It’s all there within reach. But if everything is shared, what’s kept private? We expose ourselves, desperately seeking consent. It seems that we have lost touch with reality. Although it aims to bring people together, we’re now as distant as ever. Modern man seems extremely scared of loneliness, looking for a shared space in which to feel hu- man. But is this an improvement? Obviously, social networks are useful. Many come into contact with the news through these platforms, much more than through newspapers or television. I don’t intend to discriminate the ways in which such platforms are used, but to simply observe how they often derivate from their original purpose.

Neither do I want to generalise. Many young people don’t care about their “virtual” lives, considering real life to be more interesting. They don’t feel the need to be “hipsters” and take selfies with round sunglasses in their bedrooms, on their own. But sometimes the situation gets out of hand. Meeting up with friends ceases to be a get-together when, instead of focusing on each other; one takes pictures of food, chats online, uploads a selfie or ‘checks-in’ on Facebook. What do we have to prove? And why?

We should all detoxify. We shouldn’t take pictures of the sunset, but focus on enjoying it instead. We shouldn’t share depressing romantic music, but call the person we want instead. Because sharing our feelings on a profile takes away something from our real lives, and we deserve to have real memories, not “likes”. What I wanted to say with this article (and what I also need to remind myself) is: what is the point of having ‘followers’ on Twitter, when you have none in real life?#

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Photo: flickr/jasonahowie