Friends: The Negative Influence Of Social Media

What is a friend? Is it the person you just happened to meet last night that friended you on Facebook? Or is it the person who has been with you through thick and thin and has always had your back? In today’s world, it has become harder and harder for people to decipher which of these vastly different people are their “friends”. The label “friend’ has become devalued and used so much that the line has become blurred between a companion and an acquaintance. In modern America 25% of people do not even have one close friend who they can confide in. This is caused by three things. The increase popularity of social media, the busyness of modern American lives, and the over usage of technological devices in a social setting. First off, social media is a wonderful tool that can be used to connect with …show more content…
The cell phone gets in the way. Like social media, cell phones have their place and value if used properly, but when used improperly they can have a devastating effect on friendships. How many times have you went out to eat with someone or a group and the conversations are choppy and topical, because phones keep taking the attention of people away. Many times there is a person in the group who decided not to use their phone throughout the meeting and is usually is the one trying to start face-to-face conversation with the group. When the rest of the group keeps having their attention taken away from the physical moment with the group by their phones, those few who are trying to engage feel devalued, even if the phone users do not feel this way. How much deeper and connected would friendships be if people would be able to connect without any disturbance in the conversation? Only when face-to-face connection becomes more valued by people than screen-to-screen connection can friendship be