Social Media: Fake or Real?

There still are some people who tend to criticize the amount of time others dedicate to social media spaces by saying they do harm to their social lives when they engage in the digital world. Those who spend a significant part of the day on social media-related activities are often told that they waste their time in virtual relationships. Is that true?

In their 2016 book “How the World Changed Social Media”, researchers from the University College London (UCL) say that conversations on social media platforms are as real as phone calls. The authors describe these spaces as places users visit in addition to their offices, homes, and communities. Not only do the users communicate, but they also socialize on these platforms.

People Are The Reason Why

Some critics of social media focus on the digital spaces and the threat they allegedly pose to human interactions but they ignore the conversations people have there and the content they share. The researchers note that it’s actually about those human conversations and the motivations that lead users to share certain messages.

It’s all about real communication processes that allow people to choose the size of the groups they want to engage in depending on how important privacy is to them. For instance, social media platforms let users decide between two-people conversations and spaces designed for larger groups.

Similarly, individuals who want to go out decide whether to invite one friend or a bunch of them depending on the kind of experience they want to enjoy.

Social Media Broadens The Possibilities

Online spaces are not designed to damage the socialization process. Instead, they offer new forms to reach others in order to improve the communication despite physical limitations.

Change resistance might be a motivation to accuse digital disruptions of hurting essential human interactions. Critics should embrace these transformations and accept that they are here to stay.

How has social media improved your social life?