Social Media: How it Affects Our Lives

We are most certainly living in a digital age, which really began in the early 1970s, with the arrival of the World Wide Web, and then along came social media. What began as a communication platform for Americal college students, soon morphed into the Facebook we all know and love, with billions of users connecting with family and friends, sharing their memories with their Facebook friends.

Connecting with Long-Lost Friends

This is one of the big attractions of social media platforms, and many people have managed to reconnect with old friends by searching for them on social media websites. Sharing enables people to get their message across to many people, and by asking in local Facebook groups, you are likely to get a positive response when looking for someone.

Fashion Trends

Social media plays an important role in setting fashions and trends, as social media influencers push both women and men’s fashion in their social media posts. This is especially pertinent during the global Covid-19 pandemic, as more and more people relieve the boredom of the lockdown by socialising on social media platforms.

A Social Outlet

Those who are forced to stay at home use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep their social connections, and while having a video chat is not the same as a face-to-face meeting, in a pandemic is it better than no social contact at all. You can keep in touch with family and friends via your social media pages, and this has been a lifeline for many people who would otherwise feel lonely, as they cannot leave their home. Here is an interesting article, with tips on choosing wardrobe items, which every fashion-conscious person should read.

Shared Information

The ability to share text, images and videos in real time is a very powerful thing; many pet owners have been reunited with their beloved animals thanks to posts on social media, while missing persons have been located through social media platforms. Sharing a social media post can make it go viral within a few minutes, and this is often the way a person stays updated on current affairs, relying on social media platforms to bring them the latest news.

Political Views

Of course, people have very different views on politics and the role money plays in politics, and social media allows all users to share their political opinions, endorsing or refuting another’s political views. There have been some serious issues regarding how social media decides what can be posted and what cannot, indeed, there are accusations of censorship with social media information, which is something that is being looked at presently. There have been allegations that Facebook deliberately censors political views, especially on the North American continent.

Celebrity Following

One great aspect of social media is that you can follow celebrities, and when you do click on ‘follow’, you will automatically see all future posts by the celebrity, and stars like Tom Cruise, The Rock and Madonna have many millions of social media followers. Not only can you see what your idols are up to on a daily basis, you can also interact with the man or woman of your dreams by posting a comment on their Facebook page.

Social media has rapidly become an essential part of all of our lives, and it will continue to influence us in many ways, hopefully, in a positive light.