Image via CrunchBase
How has social media websites changed your life? For some individuals, it has unfortunately produced some unwanted negatives. Indeed, there are some trends that should not be followed – pun intended.
In many ways, social media has done a lot of good. On Facebook and Twitter, for instance, you can connect with friends, family, and even businesses and famous people that you admire. You can feel free to share your thoughts, pictures, and catch up with friends. It provides a great complement to real life social interaction.
However, it is with that term – “complement” – that begins to touch upon some negatives. For some people, it is relied upon too heavily. Yes, it is easier to connect with others by sending a quick “hello,” but that should not replace other ways of connecting. This is where one major weakness is found with using social media.
If you’ve ever been plastered with “Happy Birthday” messages on your Facebook page, and with few to none telephone calls or well-thought out messages or points of contact, you’ve likely experienced this phenomenon. Perhaps this shouldn’t be the norm, though it is quite common to see. It might be a good idea to look for other ways to express gratitude, or whatever a situation calls for instead of relying too heavily on social media.
Social media has a great number of advantages. However, it must not replace forms of social etiquette that allow the feelings to be truly felt. It is much better as a complement to “normal” elements of social means.
