I Wish for the Days Before Social Media

Daily writing prompt

If you could un-invent something, what would it be?

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Don’t get me wrong! There are some redeeming qualities to social media, but what is bad about it outweighs its benefits to the world. Yes, people have always been ugly to others and bullied those they believed less than or inferior. But, with the advent of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms, the level of hate grew as people found that they could hide behind avatars and pseudonyms and spew lies and ugliness without any repercussions.

First, what started as a means for friends and family to communicate more has turned into a cesspool of lies, disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech. I question if it has been worth it for what these avenues of speech have become. Second, I think that we have lost the meaning of true friendship because of Facebook usurping the term and turning friendship into a triviality rather than a deep and meaningful relationship with people one trusts to accept you as you are.

Yes, I have a Facebook account because often it is the only means for keeping up with friends and family. I have very few “friends” on Facebook because that is the reality of my life. I prefer quality of relationships, especially as an older adult, rather than quantity, so I don’t ask to be friends or accept friend requests from people I don’t know.

Third, what people write or depict on social media can cause people to lose jobs, college placements, and relationships. I used to tell my college students to not put anything on social media that you may be ashamed of your children seeing in the future or your parents in the present. I reminded them that once pictures and videos hit cyberspace, they have no control. I hate (a strong word I don’t use often) how people place pictures of their children on social media without the children’s consent. There is a generation growing up thinking that their every move should be on social media. Those “cute” videos may come back to bite them in the future.

So, if I could un-invent something, it would be social media as it is used today. If it had remained a place for love ones and true friends to communicate when unable to see each other, then I would applaud social media platforms. But, now that Facebook and Twitter allow garbage and untruths on their platforms and people hide behind anonymity to spew their hate and ignorance, social media are more of a liability than an asset. I acknowledge that this may be a generational disagreement.