Final Blog Post

 

Final Blog Post:

    If you were asked the question; "Is technology good for you or bad for you?", you could answer in a million different ways. The truth is, technology is both good and bad. Some people have a healthy relationship with technology and the internet while others do not. In today's society we rely so heavily on apps like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. These apps have quite literally taken over our generation. So many teenagers are addicted to these apps that it actually has started to affect their basic communication skills. When you spend everyday communicating online, your skill in person become weaker. I myself, am guilty of using all of these apps daily. I find it extremely hard to just sit in silence with someone or just enjoy each other's company without going on my phone every couple of minutes or to show something to someone. 

    I spend hours and hours browsing through my social media apps every day, and when I am not on social media I am listening to music through my phone. I find it extremely hard to not go on my phone. Over the summer, I went through something extremely traumatic that made me realize who my real friends were. I had to remove many "fake friends" off of my social medias and this was one of the hardest things I had to face. The problem with apps like Snapchat is that you can have hundreds of "friends" that you snap back and forth but they aren't really your friends if they don't contact you outside of the app. I unfortunately learned the hard lesson that not that many people actually care about me like I thought. Although that might sound depressing, I was able to find my real friends and strengthened my friendships with them. What made me realize this, was taking a social media detox. What I did was temporarily disable all my social medias so I wouldn't be able to use them. This was not easy at all but it gave me a much needed break that actually allowed me to spend more time outside and taking care of myself. When I returned to social media I lessened my follower count and didn't share as much about my life as I used to. It was really hard to lose people I thought would reach out to me, but it just shows that friendships through social media aren't as strong as in person friendships. 

    From what I have learned in class, social media has so many pros and cons. As previously stated, it can be extremely draining and time consuming. It can mess with your sleep schedule and distract you from important tasks such as school work. Another thing I am guilty of is getting easily distracted when I am working on assignments. I tend to check the time, or scroll through social media for a bit before continuing my work. An easy fix to this could be putting your phone on "Do Not Disturb". This is a feature I have been taking advantage of. When your phone is on DND, your notifications are silenced which helps resist the urge to check your phone so frequently. Another thing I do is put my phone in the bathroom when I am working in my room, this way its not right next to me. 

     Social media also has many positives. It is great for job opportunities and communicating with potential employers and businessmen. It also allows you to stay up to date with friends and family who may live too far to see. Another positive is online payment features. You can pay for things using Apple Pay, transfer money to people and to your bank account through apps like Venmo and Cashapp. Social media allows you to raise awareness for big global and societal issues as well as donate to charities. Having a social media platform allows you to establish yourself and put yourself out in the world. Of course you need to be careful with what exactly you are sharing. You are able to increase your confidence by voicing your opinion on important issues all around the world. 

    In class we learned about the dangers and safety precautions of having social media. We learned that what you put out there is always there and if you want to protect your reputation and societal image you need to watch what you choose to post and share. Social media requires you to be smart and aware. There are hackers everywhere that can easily take your information and use it for bad things. It is important to keep your accounts private and to have a backup email for your subscriptions so companies don't have access to your real information. 

    I feel that I now have a healthy relationship with social media but I have seen firsthand how important it is to watch what you share and post. I am extremely careful what I put out on the internet and who I talk to because you never know. I think its important to stay away from controversial topics and make sure that you aren't spreading false information online. 

    Overall, this class has taught me so much about communication and technology. I learned a lot about my relationship with technology and have discovered things I want to change. It is clear that technology has a major impact on everyone's life in one way or another. As a citizen of the United States, it is up to us to not let the government control our lives and take our information online, especially when it comes to our First Amendment Rights. Going forward in life, I will be extremely aware of my relationship with social media and technology and I will never forget the skills I have learned in this class.