Social media should not exist. It has ruined all valuable communication. When was the last time you have heard of a guy properly asking the girl he likes out on a date? Or even of people just having a simple face-to-face argument of any kind ? You haven’t.
Snapchat is the number one contributor to this issue. Snapchat users are able to send snaps that can be optionally put on a chosen time limit for viewing, allowing he or she to send what they would like without fear of having it shown to others. The majority of Snapchat users also use a feature that deletes every chat sent and received 24 hours after it was viewed. This setting can also be changed to delete directly after viewing. While this feature is not always used with malicious intent, some users send chats that are hurtful knowing they will delete quickly. They do this to avoid a simple in-person conversation that would have fixed the issue in a healthier way.
Other social media apps such as Tiktok and Instagram have recently acquired a new feature that is referred to as “repost.” There is a button beside each reel or Tiktok that allows the viewer to “repost” it onto their page; meaning that each repost can be found on the user’s page. Reposts will also appear on the “for you” pages of people the account follows.
While this might seem innocent, this feature is abused to target people that may see these posts on their own “for you” page, see who reposted it, and take it personally. It is very common for people, particularly teens, to go onto someone’s page and look through their repost to find out how they feel. This is often done in a passive aggressive way so that allegations can be denied in person but the truth seen through the screen.
Although social media has ruined most communication, it does have some positive influences. It has evolved the ways brands are able to advertise to customers and expand the audience reached. It has impacted the medical community as well. Social media users are able to study the stories of people on social media that are in similar circumstances to themselves and explore treatments that have worked for them.
While the positives are undeniable, they do not outweigh the negatives. There are many societal problems with communication that social media can take the blame for: higher divorce rates, extreme partisanship, an increase in social anxiety amongst teens. While this may shock Americans today, we all would be better off without these ways of indirect communication.
