What’s wrong with social media?

Image credit: Jason Howie

Just last week, I took an Uber car after a long day at work. During a routine small talk with the driver, a middle-aged gentleman, he asked about my occupation.

“Wow, you work late. What do you work as?”

“Oh, I work as a marketing executive.”

“Marketing? What do you do exactly?”

“Social media. I do marketing and advertising on Facebook and Twitter.”

I should add that by this time, I knew what was coming.

“Facebook? You mean you make a living by surfing Facebook and posting stuff online?”

“Uhm, yeah.”

“Wow, isn’t that a fun and easy job?”

Well, wasn’t that some nice small talk. The conversation ended there as the atmosphere in the car became awkwardly silent, but I don’t blame the driver. Few had made a living by doing social media work on a full-time basis years back. Heck, social media as we know it today wasn’t even invented 10 years ago. Back then, we didn’t have to take a photo of everything we eat or wherever we go. There were no Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat. The older folks would probably agree that it was a quieter time back then. Our phones didn’t ring as often or run out of juice as quickly. But I digress.

Let’s have a proper talk about social media. Social media has made it so easy and convenient for us to pass time by reading articles or viewing photos of our co-worker’s recent holiday trip to Europe. We can now be connected without the commitment. We can learn what all our friends are up to without spending precious time to meet and catch up. That’s great, isn’t it?

This seemed almost too good and too convenient to be true. The sum doesn’t tally. Every now and then, societal problems brought forth or accentuated by social media will surface and people debate about it endlessly. What’s wrong with social media? Did it bring us more harm than good?

Before I dive straight into my point of view, let me establish this fact: everyone wants to feel good about themselves. It’s only human nature to associate ourselves with desirable and successful traits. We are innately inclined to portray a positive image of ourselves to others. And what easier and faster way is there than via social media? After all, aren’t social media profiles much easier to fix and more perfect compared to our attitudes, characters and virtues?