How Social Media Has Affected My Life

I’ve been using social media since about 2010, this is when I created a Facebook account. This was my first true experience with connecting with others with the world wide web. My experience before using the internet was only limited to a few websites which did not focus much on communication with other people who use the site. Even though social media such as AOL Messenger, Six Degrees, and MySpace existed before Facebook feels like the first social media site that everyone in my generation has used since this was around the time everyone was getting access to the internet at home.

Ten years later the world has changed there are a ton of social media platforms and or websites that include forums for people to interact with. Overall Social media has influenced me in both a positive and negative way. For one thing, it has exposed me to what people are talking about, whether its news about world issues or pop culture in general. Before you would have to wait to see someone in person or call them at a certain time of the day to let them know something important. It's super easy to post links, photos, videos to anything making it easier to explore and find new interests. From experience facebook exposed to a lot of shows, movies, and media I’d never heard of before.

Social media influenced me to express myself more by showing/telling people the stuff I did whether big or small; such as getting a good grade on a test, showing off a new pet, or going on a vacation. However social media can also encourage others to reveal too much about themselves. I learned once something is posted to the internet it's hard to remove it since anyone can download, screenshot or archive anything. In the past, I used such as Youtube and Club Penguin you are anonymous and are hidden behind a username and Icon that isn't your real face. Overall Facebook has taught me the basics of how to commute and express myself on the internet. It taught me to think about how I want to show myself to people and how to show a professional side in myself. It showed me that I can't say or do anything without suffering consequences just like in everyday life even if you are anonymous.
Moving to the present day social media is bigger than it ever was. It now the main way people communicate with each other, get their news, express their opinions, or tell people what they are currently doing.

The only social media I use nowadays is Snapchat and Instagram. Instagram is a social media where you can only post pictures, unlike Facebook where you can post status updates and photos; and Snapchat is an app where you can talk to others and send photos but they disappear once viewed. Nowadays everyone uses their phone more than a computer due to most if not all social media have apps making it easier and more convenient. Since our phones have all access to the internet it can make us stay on it for a long time since it has our social media, music, streaming services, online shopping, and photos at the touch of our fingertips. It almost gives us a reason to use them all the time. I'll admit I may have a slight addiction to Instagram due to the fact I use it to look at funny internet memes since it has one of the biggest meme communities. This taught me to limit my time of using technology and go out and explore what the world has to offer.

I'm very thankful that I can have a form of social media just to connect with others I know and others I don't know. Overall I say social media has had a positive impact on my life more than a negative. While yes social media can create negative effects on society, I say as long as you limit yourself on it and not use it constantly it can make you a better person.