As with most creation, social media was intended to be a very good thing, keeping you in touch with global events, family, and friends, without you having to go out of your way to find out what is going on out there in the world. We get news faster than ever with the simple touch of a screen. The good still exists everywhere you look, but over time we have discovered various issues that have proven to be very problematic over the last few years. People have become infatuated with all that is tangible, perhaps it has always been human nature, but with the access to the newest trends such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Vine, Snapchat, (the list goes on), we only fuel our obsession with the insignificant. One could argue that opening up to social media websites make us feel “better about ourselves” and “important”, but is it really yourself that you are feeling better about?

Social Media isn’t entirely bad; I admit that there are times when I have used it on occasion for the purpose of benefiting others. But it is ultimately used as a waste of time. Did you think that people posted pictures for any other reason than the hope that they will be complimented on how “pretty” or “gorgeous” they look in it? I am only saying this to bring to light our interpretation of “importance”. A senior at Holyoke High School, Madysen Lawrence, said, “Social media is a good concept, but we get too caught up in the idea that we need to be liked.” The creation of social media seems to have altered our grasp on reality and transformed us.

Has social media changed the way we define achievement? I think it has, now it seems more important to get a hundred likes on that picture of the sunset you took, that showed up on your timeline five other times from five different people. It’s become a competition as to who is better at showing off. I admit that I have fallen victim to this at times, but there is still hope that we all can find the valuable factors in Social Media. It is a way to connect with the world and learn about different cultures. It seems to me that showing off happens to be its own culture. If people would take the time and energy they put into sending a tweet, towards real life problems, the world will have the ability to be a better place and maybe we could stop world hunger.