The world we live in is always changing, and depending on who you talk to, it can be for the better or for the worse. Whether we like it or not, it doesn’t change the situation. Social media is one of the most popular forms of communication in the world we live in today. MySpace, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat have changed the way we view people and their lives. While there are so many good uses for social media, there are also problems that come with it and people are often too blind to see these problems.

      The constant scrolling, endless likes, and counting up viewers has become part of a daily routine for most. Some people can’t even wake up in the morning without checking their Facebook or Instagram. Staying in touch is good, but when you have become socially confined to looking at a person’s face through a screen, you don’t see anything wrong with it. Instant gratification is a problem that certainly surfaced before the rise of social media, but has become more prevalent than ever now. People wanting other people to tell them that they are pretty or handsome all the time, when in reality, nobody would say that as much in person. 

      Another issue lately has been a term known as “Sadfishing”. “Sadfishing” is when a person says something like “I hate my life” or “I can’t do this anymore” and they aren’t really upset, they are just saying that to get sympathy and to get people to comment and like their post. Famous celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Justin Beiber have poured their hearts out on Instagram and have received millions of likes and comments in return. This may not seem like a big deal, but sometimes saying these things on social media can make you actually feel hopeless and depressed even if you weren’t in the first place. 

      Another issue with social media is simply feeling envious because of a friend or maybe even a complete stranger’s post. The biggest problem is being envious of someone’s life and thinking that their life is perfect. They may have the perfect house, perfect pictures, and perfect relationship, but do they really? Or is this nothing more than Photoshop and fake smiles? People find themselves feeling like they have to have a life that mirrors another person’s even if that isn’t a reality.  People could be focusing their time on so many other things than trolling social media. Creating life-long friends happens in person and in real life, and you can’t always trust a person you just met on the internet. 

     The effects of social media can be good and bad, but most of the time, it is only deteriorating the personal relationships you have with people. Social media can certainly be helpful, but it is also hurtful, so it is important that we use it sparingly and we focus on keeping our relationships with our friends and family alive by visiting them, hanging out, and simply just checking on them. Now more than ever, we need to realize that there is no need to be jealous over a complete stranger just because their life looks more “glamorous” on social media. We just need to take the time to put the phones down, and get away from scrolling. We need to take the time to enjoy the world around us and just enjoy life in general.