Is Social Media Becoming Too Social?
Story by Megan Foster | Design by Maddy Larson | Photos by Dylan Hanson
Is Social Media Becoming too Social?
Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. Today, these popular social media applications live upon millions of screens. These platforms fill the never-ending scroll that is overtaking electronic devices.
Has our use of technology evolved too far beyond its intended purpose? What once were apps dedicated to communication and social interaction are now overtaken by trends, influencers and news. Is social media becoming too social?
The Rise of Social Media:
Contrary to widespread belief, social media didn’t start with apps like Twitter or Facebook. “In a sense, social media began on May 24, 1844, with a series of electronic dots and dashes tapped out by hand on a telegraph machine,” says an article from Maryville University.
While social media has been present within society for over a century, it has evolved vastly through the decades. With technological advancement comes extended usage of these digital spaces. So, what has social media become in recent years? Is social media an endless pit of information, an ever-evolving tool or has social media become an undefinable platform altogether?
The popular media apps today have expanded to every facet of society. What once were apps directed toward social interaction have strayed into the world of entertainment, news, dating and work. With new opportunities comes potential for problems, but how is this true for social media?
Living in the Wake of the Digital Age:
This ever-changing digital age has come with its changes, but many issues prevalent today started long ago.
“The problems have always existed throughout the ages, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s. Here we are in the 2020s and these problems are still here,” says Mary Eberhardinger, a professor of Communication, Public Relations and Advertising at CWU.
Issues present within society can be seen in cycles throughout history. Social media may be present during times of difficulty, but it isn’t at the core of these problems.
Professor Natalie Fish, a lecturer of Child Development and Family Science at CWU, shares her opinion. “Is social media becoming too informational? Well, I would say there’s lots of misinformation,” says Fish.
What now is referred to as “clickbait” can be seen in newspapers and magazines throughout the decades because it sells. Capturing an audience’s attention with shock, enticing them to read more, encouraging them to share, like and repost isn’t something new. Within social media today, information spreads faster and while this may present an issue within society, it isn't an issue created by social media.
“I don't think it's social media’s fault. I think it's kind of low hanging fruit to blame. ‘It's all Facebook's fault. It's all Twitter's fault.’ As if Facebook has feelings and has dinner at night,” says Eberhardinger. Social media is a tool, but the actions taken on social media are up to the user. “We human beings have our hands on the technology,” says Eberhardinger, “It's up to us.”
At the Tips of Our Fingers:
Through the internet's advancements the digital realm has expanded vastly, but is it just a common phrase that all the information is at the tips of our fingers through the internet? With the media becoming an ever-expanding realm of information, society’s means of access and usage are always expanding.
Experts are beginning to question if social media has become less social and more media. “We’re at an inflection point where it’s less about the connections we're making, and more about the content we're creating,” says the Vice President of strategy at Conviva, Nick Cicero, in an interview with Social Media Today.
CWU Professor Mary Eberhardinger thinks differently; she references Marshall McLuhan, a communication theorist who wrote “Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man.” Eberhardinger explains that media is an extension of the user, “Media and technology are creating opportunities where our body can't physically be,” says Eberhardinger.
Social media provides users with a digital platform to extend their lives, this was extraordinarily prevalent during the COVID-19 lockdown. Behind closed doors, in confined rooms and scared of the surrounding environment, social media gave its users digital offices, classrooms and social gathering spaces.
“As long as we keep using them as tools I think we're going to grow and evolve,” says CWU Professor Natalie Fish. Social media is the ultimate tool at societies disposal, aiding the fruition of an individual’s wants and needs. These virtual spaces cannot replace in person interaction, Fish suggests that if society allowed for these tools to become substitutions there may be difficulty. Social media offers an extension to its users in person reality.
“Language creates reality. It doesn't reflect. Language is constitutive to reality,” says Eberhardinger. She is referencing the principle of linguistics relativity or the Sapir Whorf hypothesis: this hypothesis suggests that the language individuals exude amplifies their reality. “The more we celebrate the relationship, or the marriage, or the new job, or the baby being born or someone going in remission from cancer, the more the language surrounds these events, the more it makes it real,” says Eberhardinger.
So, has the internet really put all this information at the tips of our fingers? Perhaps it was in our hands all along.
Born Surfing the Web:
Born into an ever-changing digital atmosphere, Generation Z and Generation Alpha have grown up with the media.
These new platforms have opened doors for many; influencers and digital creators flood the scene as they form careers for themselves using the tools of the digital age. Society has grown with the media, learning to adapt as it evolves.
These social media influencers and creators have opened doors. The industry has become a marketing tool: advertisements, collaborations and sponsorships have found their way into the content users consume.
With social media presence growing, it is important for users to equip themselves with the proper tools when interacting digitally.
Survival Guide to Living Digitally:
Communication, entertainment and news cross lines within the realm of social media, closely intersecting with each other, yet vastly different in content. Where these lines blur, users must stay wary while navigating this online atmosphere.
With society merging lives on and offline, it’s important to safely and respectfully maneuver the digital realm. Professor Natalie Fish, who teaches a romantic relationships and technology course, lends her knowledge. “Take your time, go slow and don’t rush into things,” says Fish, “you don't have to be worried about every single person trying to scam you, but definitely use good judgment. Go with your gut.”
It’s easy for users to become depersonalized when interacting online, without face to face contact, some struggle with social cues and etiquette more than others. “I really think the most important thing is just remembering there's a person in the screen,” says Fish.
Social media is a part of society, but that doesn’t mean it is for everybody. Eberhardinger recalls times in her life when she has stepped back from social media, “There are times when I've been depressed, and I get off social media. I'm not feeling good about me. I'm not happy enough to share the flowers in my backyard or my dog.” It is important for users to remember to go at their pace, do what’s best for them. “I think it takes courage to show your face on Facebook. Here I am, here I am world, this is me. Here's where I live, here's my dog, here's my job, but you don't have to share every single thing.” says Eberhardinger. Sharing can be intimidating, the internet is vast and not always friendly, so be kind to yourself and others.
Social media is infinite and immeasurable. It encapsulates virtual worlds and pours out endless streams of entertainment and information for its users to consume. Its capabilities cannot be put in a box nor defined solely on its means of creation. As technology evolves, so does society. Trying to cap the potential of this multifaceted platform only deters evolution and growth. Social media has the power to do many things, but only from clicks behind the screen.