Why hide on social media?

By Jade McBride

Social Media is used as an attempt at keeping personal relationships active in a technologically advanced world.

 

We are trying to make up for the lack of time we have to actually spend with other people in a person-to-person contact by talking to them on the Internet through various social media sites.

Facebook is obviously the most used SM website, because people are able to use it from person to business purposes. This social media assignment has created the realization that some people are actually embarrassed that they spend so much time on a social network.

Those interviewed often regard SM as a pollutant, and that they use it for the purpose of keeping up to date with friends and family. People often don’t realize that technology increased the turn around time for this contact to an instant, from what it was in the past, around a week. We used to do the same thing what seems like ages ago, they were called letters. From people keeping up to date with family and mailing pictures, to a romance over seas, letters were used to do the same thing, stay in contact. Obviously, this was much more of an intimate form of communication because the whole world wasn’t invited to see.

This survey is proof that people still have the desire to communicate with each other, but would rather stretch the 24-hour day with constant communication rather than be alone with their own thoughts.

Most people interviewed saw the Social Media phenomenon as a procrastination tool for life. They use it mainly at work, school, or home, and with the help of smart phones are able to take these sites anywhere they go.

One person interviewed actually uses facebook for business purposes others use twitter as a gateway to their blogs and other self-selling items. This helps put out their work to a large audience and create bonds with words.

The majority of people interviewed add these businesses to find events that are going on locally. This proves that sometimes putting your business out their with minor or major events will draw a crowd especially with the use of the “like” button.

It is interesting that people are not willing to admit how much time they really spend on these sites. Most claim less than an hour per day. However, I am their friend on Facebook and know this to be inaccurate.

Why the embarrassment when the majority of the country is online? It comes from the desire to look productive all day, and since SM sites are thought of as procrastination or multitasking tools, nobody wants to admit how much time they really spend on them. I think this is also what the “offline” tool is one of the most popular icons on facebook specifically.

All the people I have interviewed began their SM quest on myspace and then trended over to Facebook, because of its desire and user ability they are able to keep in contact with more people with less confusion. The more experienced SM users also keep up with twitter and foursquare and other tech savvy sites.

This is a misconception that other sites are only used by professional SM users but in these interviews, it is proven true.

Overall people, use Social Media to stay connected in a time driven world. They use this for family and friends; some people use it to meet new people but most to reconnect, usually for the reason that it seems safer than meeting new people in general.