Why I Think Social Media Is Awesome

     I know there are a lot of people who think that social media is making it more difficult for people to interact face to face and that it's taking away from personally communicating with people, but I disagree. It's true that many people are attached to their phones at all times and spend more time on Twitter or Instagram than is deemed normal, but social media has made it significantly easier to connect with people in general.

     Technology is definitely changing the way people interact, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. It's less personal than talking to someone in person but it makes you appreciate those encounters more. The time spent communicating through social media, whether it's tweets and favorites or photos and likes, makes face to face time seem more intimate.

     Also, there are tons of people I would rarely ever interact with if it weren't for social media. It makes it easier to know what my family at home is doing while I'm away and I can see what's going on in my friend's lives that I haven't seen in years. Social media has made it possible for me to connect with people I would never otherwise be able to have contact with. It lets people establish connections easily, even though you might only see the surface. Social media can show you a small portion of someone's interests and thoughts and depending on the amount someone shares, it can show you their sense of humor or even their beliefs.

    To me, social media is a way to start a conversation about anything. You can talk with people you simply have something in common with and you can even spread information you want people to be more knowledgeable about. There are even hashtag campaigns that serve a purpose or bring attention to an issue, such as #YesAllWomen. Social media can give people an easy way to access news and learn about issues going on that they might not be able to read about in such a simple way otherwise.