Social media hurts our communication

Living in the 21st century is not without its perks, but it is certainly riddled with downsides—for example, vastly advancing technology and ever-expanding social networks. They may bring us momentary pleasure, but they ultimately hurt us and those around us.

Social media is one of the greatest avenues for connection throughout the world, with over 302 million people in the United States using it in some way, according to Statista. You can build communities of tons of people with various backgrounds using just one medium. However, when we invest so much time into building online relationships, we risk forgetting to interact with the reality outside of our social platforms.

Social media stunts our social and emotional growth when it comes to life outside of our screens, as 67% of Americans feel lonely directly because of social media, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Weekly, I receive a report on my phone that tells me how much time I have spent on my screens and how much time was dedicated to each of my apps.

I hate to say it but, oftentimes, I spend more time scrolling on TikTok weekly than I do speaking with people in person.

I have made a habit of using my social anxiety as an excuse to not be more social at school or at any functions that may rely on making conversation. Social media does not help with this. Why call people or talk to them face-to-face when I can just send a direct message?

I am sure I am not the only one who has “friends” with whom I have only ever conversed via social media and who I pretend not to know when confronted with their presence in the real world. How long will we let social media actively run our social lives?

Here we are, in 2023, finding significant others on Hinge and close friends on Instagram. We do not smile at strangers on the sidewalk, but we feel just fine liking their photos on Instagram. Suddenly we value likes, comments and shares more than we value deep connections with people. Social media makes it easier to communicate, but it kills the avenues of meaningful communication we used before.

It is time we reevaluate our participation on our various social networking apps and look up from our phones, realizing that there is more to life than what is happening on our timelines. Social media is building a desensitized society filled with fragile friendships and shallow shared interests. We have forgotten the true meaning of hu-man connection and relationship, and it is time we remember it.

So, let’s make it a point to get out of our comfort zones and speak to people we usually wouldn’t. Those small actions may lead to meaningful relation-ships, whereas adding random people on Snapchat most likely will not, regardless of how many selfies they send.