My Relationship with Technology and Social Media

 

HPU Social Media & Digital Communication title (via highpoint.edu)

    Whenever I'm asked about my relationship with technology and social media, I feel very conflicted. On one hand, I understand the many issues that have arisen because of social media and that there are drawbacks to it. On the other, I personally have had very good experiences with social media and I really enjoy using it. I'm even a Social Media and Digital Communication major now and I think it is very likely that I could work in or with social media in some capacity in my future career. 

    I enjoy using social media for entertainment, to network, and to communicate. Although I do not post frequently, I usually go on most of my accounts at least once day. When I do post, I am very conscientious of it, not only from a privacy standpoint, but also from just a general content perspective. Having two older sisters, I was always hyperaware of what I posted on Instagram or tweeted because I knew there was a good chance one of my sisters would comment back or repost in a way that is poking fun at me. If they did that, it would be coming from a place of love and I more than likely wouldn't mad; I would just be embarrassed. Because of that, I want every caption and every tweet to be letter perfect so there is nothing my sisters can comment about. 

    Originally all of this overthinking was contained mainly to my Instagram captions, but over time, it grew to me overthinking every post, repost, Snapchat story, retweet, etc. I can't really say if the impact of this has been more negative or positive, because it has affected me in both ways. On the negative end of the spectrum, it has more than likely increased my self-consciousness and I am more concerned with others' opinions and thoughts on me than I would be otherwise. At times, I do wish I could post what I want without being concerned what people will think, but there are benefits to being this conscientious. 

    From a positive standpoint, it has benefitted me greatly because it has and should continue to prevent me from posting any sort of content that would negatively impact future job prospects. I can't say I have been in a situation where I was concerned something I had posted or was thinking about posting was going to be an issue. However, because of my concern over what people think of my posts, it causes me to think about how people would react to it, thus allowing me to make sure it won't hurt me professionally.

Google search of my name

    Because of that consciousness of what I post, I have a good online presence. If you google my name, the first result is my Linkedin, one is a link to my Hudl profile from my senior year of volleyball, and the rest are links to articles I've written for my high school paper and for the Campus Chronicle here at High Point.  

    Despite all of that, I am not perfect when it comes to social media and technology. The most negative effect it has had on me is how it's affected my productivity. I will sit for hours switching between Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and if I'm really desperate, Facebook, scrolling mindlessly when I could be doing something that I actually need to be doing, like my homework. I do think downtime is important and it is healthy to take time and do something mindless, such as watch TV or go on social media. Personally though, I would prefer to spend my downtime watching a movie or hanging out with my friends instead of using social media. However, since I typically spend my homework time on social media, I then have to spend my downtime doing homework. It's a vicious cycle that I'm still trying to escape, but I do know that I am not the only one that experiences this. One study found that 49% of undergraduate students that were surveyed said "the use of technology for reasons not related to class, or "off-task" use, was distracting to them."

    There is an art to the give and take relationship between ourselves and technology usage. On one hand, our lives are on our computers. Most schoolwork, lots of careers, and a world of information is all stored online. Even prior to the pandemic, secondary and post-secondary education students did a lot of their work online; whether that be through an online textbook, taking notes, or even completing exams. When it comes to jobs, a lot of work is done on a computer, both in an office and from home. At the end of the day, when people are finished with school and work, they still don't get a break from technology. They have to map their way home to avoid the traffic jam, they have to order takeout food for dinner on the restaurant's website, and they want to go through Facebook and Instagram to see what everyone has posted that day. Notice how I used "want" in the last clause instead of "have," like I did in the first two. That change is important because that is where the give and take comes into play. 

    We have to accept in this day and age, technology is an inevitable part of our lives. The vast majority of us have to use it to some extent in order to be fully active in normal society. Many people have accepted that technology is a necessity in some aspect of their lives, but when doing so, they have also included the notion that as logging into their work computer is an important part of their daily routine, going through all social media feeds is of the same importance. This is the root of people's unhealthy relationships with technology and social media. Every aspect of their day seems to require technology, when in reality, using social media is a choice. People should only go on to Facebook, Instagram, etc, when they want to. If they want to go on it every day, then they should go on it every day. But if they don't have the actual desire to go on, they should do something else with their spare time. People should try to limit the number of times they open their social media out of habit and boredom. If people only go on their accounts when they want to be entertained by what is on their feed, then social media and technology will become more of an outlet or source of relaxation, similar to watching TV or a movie, instead of a chore they must complete each day. In my own life, I have found that when I go through phases where I only go on social media when I actually want, I am more happy and actually find that time to be relaxing. 

    In conclusion, although there is always room for improvement, I currently have a fairly healthy relationship with technology and social media. I appreciate all that it's good for, while still being aware of its drawbacks. In general, I believe that people can improve their relationship with social media if they stop treating it as a part of their routine in their day. Instead, people should think about social media and recreational technology usage in the same way they think about watching TV or reading book. It does not have to be a scheduled part of every day of people's lives; it should be an outlet used to decompress and as a form of entertainment in free time. Technology and social media are very important and necessary tools in today's world. Everything is just continuing to evolve, so we might as well learn how to best facilitate a healthy relationship with it in order to ease the stress and burden that can come with technology.