Social Media has revolutionized every aspect of life. It has been responsible for creating superstars literally overnight as well as fueling the Arab Spring that took down oppressive regimes.
However, Social Media, is also the cancer ruining social relationships. It is now very common for folks to just ‘like’ a photograph of the newly born offspring of a blood relative.
No calls, visits, or cards, just a simple double tap on Instagram, seems enough to congratulate your brother or cousin for becoming a parent. Yes, it’s that bad.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to find out just “how serious” your social media addiction is!
1. Social media is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning and/or before you go to bed.
2. You can’t go through an entire meal without checking your phone at least a few times or snap the plate to share it.
3, You “check in” at every new location you go to make sure your friends see all the places you’ve been.
4. You share everything. This one may be the worst. If you feel the need to share your every thought and wish, and lose all inhibition on your Facebook page, please stop.
5. Stop now. There is such a thing as too much information. That’s what a therapist is for people. Or call your Mother.
7. Liking your own content. Not only is this a sign that you are an addict, it is also a sign that you are a total narcissist.
8. #You #hashtag #all #your #posts #like #this. #Seriously #this #is #just #annoying #to #look #at.
9. You use social media phrases and tags in normal conversations, and actually say stuff like “LOL” or “LMFAO” when someone says something funny.
10. You can snap 2732 selfies to make sure you’ll get the right one.
11. You obsess over the number of likes your post gets and how many people follow or friend you.
12. You wake up at random hours of the night to check if any of your friends have posted something interesting.
13. You fail to understand why anyone would prefer to go to a coffee shop or restaurant that doesn’t have Wi-Fi.
14. You read this entire post on a smart phone and will retweet and like this post via a smart phone (please do this one).
If most of these statements describe you, newsflash, YOU’RE AN ADDICT!
You probably need some help. Not only is this affecting your relationships and friendships, it may negatively affect your psyche and self-esteem. To put it simply, it’s just not healthy!
In conclusion, social media is a wonderful thing, it helps us share our thoughts and our views with the world, and allows us to connect with many people across the world that we otherwise would never have gotten a chance to link up with.
It can even be used to network and start meaningful relationships and friendships. When misused though, social media can be a major obstacle for interpersonal communication.
It can also cloud the need to connect with “actual” people around us and have tangible experiences with those we care about.
I believe anyone will agree that no matter how fun and creative social media can be, nothing beats the physical connection that shared on a one on one in any relationship or friendship.
Final word from me, don’t indulge too much in the cyber world at the expense of your “real” world, live in the now.
Are you a social media junkie? Read how your ‘addiction’ is ruining your life.
Kevin is a tech enthusiast and the lead writer at MobiTrends.co.ke. He has been writing about smartphones and tech related topics since October 2012. About Us | Contact Us
