Impact of Social Media

After randomly getting in a mood to write scholarship applications and enter sweepstakes, I stumbled upon an essay contest to write about the impacts of social media. Although I am very guilty of using social media all the time (even in class), this is my opinion of social media. It had to be under 300 words. Too bad I found out after I submitted that it's only open to high school students. Thankfully, I at least had another use for this! 
 
Social media is a world of madness. Although it enables you easier access to communication with friends and family, it can be very exploiting. Your privacy can be heavily violated, especially if you post inappropriate information or pictures. Employers can hold a predisposition on the most qualified candidate if they posted pictures at parties drinking or doing drugs. Rumors can be spread easily. People can take that inappropriate picture of you and shatter the clean image of someone. People can be easily offended if someone "deletes" you from their friends list. It can even disrupt you from paying attention in class and hurt your grades. Many people are now texting and talking over social media websites and posting their personal information on these websites. That consumes a lot of time where people can participate in more productive activities, such as reading a book or studying for school. People don't need or even want to know about your personal life because they have more important ambitions. It's an unhealthy addiction to stay updated on the latest gossip. It is also a major distraction from proper communication. In terms of communications, there are still people who prefer face to face communication as opposed to talking over a virtual medium. It takes away from the value of actually seeing someone. It holds some benefits, but the downfalls outweigh the advantages. People are missing out on appreciating the greater things in life and would rather sit and stare at a phone or computer all day. It's disgusting and creating a major communication barrier!