Changed Communication

From flickr.com Uploaded by sitmonkeysupreme

In the past, news traveled by ear. There weren’t instagrams of morning coffee, instant proof of break ups, or hundreds of photo shopped pictures to help figure out the quality of a person’s character. In today’s society, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites are first referenced in order to figure out “who somebody really is.”

This is both beneficial, and detrimental. Social networking keeps people connected. People are able to communicate and share their thoughts more freely and break past barriers such as distance or shyness. On the flip side, this discourages the simple act of having a good old fashioned conversation. Others don’t feel the need to ask about past experiences because they’ve already seen the pictures, and have read the status updates. Even if there is more to the story, others appear disinterested because they have heard it already.

Love has also been changed by this internet phenomenon. Relationships are defined by whether or not they’re Facebook Official, and the first action taken after a break up is untagging photos and changing the relationship status to single. Profile pictures are switched from the cute couple pic, to the “I’m Having Fun Being Single” pic. It gives a whole new dimension to dating that wasn’t there before, and is something that is actively discussed between couples.

Drama has been present since Shakespeare’s time (Romeo and Juliet, anyone?) The time old tale of broken hearts and crushed dreams are still present, but are now widely circulated and made public through social networking sites. Girls and boys alike, use this public setting to discuss problems and gain resolutions, if not in a pleasant manner. Morals are shown off in extravagant ways; both good and bad ethics are displayed. Some employers have even taken this into account, and used social networking as a testament to a person’s standards.

Social networking has made the world a little more complicated, a little more open, and a little changed. Life as we known it has always been this way, and it’s hard to forget that things were once different. In order to avoid getting trapped in technology, keep it simple. Ask about a friend’s cool vacation, new boyfriend, or crazy morning, and never assume that the whole story is posted.