Real World vs. The Virtual World: The Detriment of Social Media

With technology advancing faster than ever, it’s becoming clear that deciphering between the virtual world and reality is becoming more difficult. We use social media outlets to communicate with each other and receive news from around the world, but we also have discovered social media’s uncanny ability to help us present our best selves; even if it’s not our true selves. Somewhere between AOL messenger, Instagram likes, and Snapchat filters, we’ve lost our way.

It seems as though we are more concerned about how we appear on social media than what we present in real time. Face to face conversations make us feel uncomfortable; we find it easier to talk to strangers online than our own friends and family. And somewhere in there we miss the irony of posting a picture of (what looks to be) us having the time of your life at an event, only to really be at said event with your nose in your phone not mingling with anybody.

Believe it or not, people get so caught up in their perceived lifestyles that they don’t want to wear an outfit more than once in fear that someone will realize they’ve worn it in a picture before. The internet has made keeping up with the Joneses or the Kardashians an actual thing! Instead of living within our means, we are too busy living check to check trying to impress and compete with others. Considering all of this, it’s not surprising that human interaction seems almost extinct, or that our social media etiquette is better than our behavior in real social settings.

Let’s be honest, whether it’s purchasing the latest gadget or constantly checking our emails, we’re all a little guilty of letting technology be a big part of our loves. Although times constantly change, remember what’s really important and don’t get out of touch with your morals and those who matter most. Social media will always have its perks, but there is one thing that we can do to stay truer to ourselves (and others): unplug and make time to connect with those around you in a real way.

Written by: Nyia Moore,