SOCIAL MEDIA: FRIENDSHIP ANALYSIS

The biggest revolution of the century is the emergence of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Tango and the like. This has given many of us the platform to make and meet new people, share our thoughts and even share ideas. Social media has come to stay and, as far as I am concerned, both the young and old use these platforms to communicate.

The interesting aspect of these platforms is making new and virtual friends, virtual because they are not met 1-on-1. We re-connect with old friends and that is the fun of it.

But did you know social media is the cause of many relationship failures in recent times? Did you also know that it has made us so careless of our surroundings?

We tend to put all our attention on virtual friends such that we fail to see those who are even close to us, hence hurting them. You sit in a trotro and almost everyone is whatsapp-ing, creating an individualistic and i-dont-care atmosphere. We no longer discuss social issues in buses cos we are busy on our phones.This is gradually affecting society at a slow but alarming rate.

Just recently, a guy broke up with the girlfriend simply because even when they sat together she messaged him to tell him something. I also I know of a friend who broke up with the girlfriend because she seemed to be so obsessed with social media that she never paid attention to him whenever he visited her. Couples no longer talk about how their day was like at work, children also no longer communicate with their parents even when they are in the car with them. A man and daughter were seated in a car and it was as quiet as a cemetery. why? Cos the daughter was busy chatting on the phone and the dad didn't seem to bother. How then do we as parents get t know what it is our children are going through. How would spouses protect their marriages. The use of social media is gradually widening the gap between loved ones, parents and children.

Worse case scenario, social media as taken away our sense of sympathy to the extent that we make joke of serious issues. Take the mysterious disappearance of Ghanaian hip-life star Castro, all sort of jokes were being sent. some even giving possible titles to movies likely to be produced. What is funny about someone drowning? People have lost their friendship to people close to the star cos of these messages. Let's come back to being the caring and hospitable people we used to be.

 

These are just a few of the effects social media have had on friendships and relationships. Let’s try our best to keep friends.

 Advice: if you can't keep a friend, don't make one.