(Anti)Social Media

Social media can be used for multiple reasons. Freshman Austin Reynoso says his favorite part about social media is,

“Being able to communicate with friends and family around the world, and being able to see, via pictures, what that part of the world is like.”

Many students agreed with Reynoso. Social media makes it easy to do research and connect with family, friends, organizations, events, businesses, and so on. Instead of reaching out to specific people via call, letter, or the old-fashioned face to face, social media allows people to connect right where they’re sitting. Senior Ethan McLaughlin elaborated on this, saying,

“With a click of a button I can see whatever I want. Social media connects me to my friends. It makes it easy to see what they’re doing, and for me to share what I am doing.”

Keeping up to date with your friends seems like a nice idea, but some students expressed their concern with their privacy. Junior Frankie Carrothers says the worst part about social media is,

“People can find information about me that I don’t want them to have. I can be stalked by them. Also, there can be a lot of drama.”

Many problems root from social media as it can be easy to say something you might not usually say in person. Some people pretend to be others online. There’s cat-fishing, which is luring someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona. This happens daily as online dating is becoming more and more common. Others may hide behind a fake face to simply say something they might not usually say. Junior Angela Yang said,

“A con [of social media] is issues between people, or ‘Facebook drama’ as others call it. A lot of students like to read comments and post statuses about others.”  

Social media can also be used to follow celebrities and businesses. Senior Michael Rank Jr. uses his Instagram account as his personal portfolio to make connections through the fashion industry. He has made friends with common interests and has found possible future career opportunities through this platform. Rank commented,

“I’m a fan of social media as it helps me connect to those who share similar passions. It’s also a good way for me to find unique clothes that are otherwise not accessible in Sheboygan.”

According to a poll of 80 students, 31 Redwings prefer Facebook over any other social media. Snapchat is a close second with 24 votes. No matter what social media you may use, it is a good way to stay connected through your community. Just make sure you shut off your technology every now and then- social media can turn you antisocial just as fast!