SOCIAL MEDIA-FRIEND OR FOE??

So I took a self imposed social media hiatus for about a month and it really gave me a moment to pause and think about the impact of social media on our everyday lives. Technology is so advanced these days. When I tell my students that I didn't have a cell phone or email in college, they look at me like I am a relic from the past. Social media, like other technologies, allows us to constantly stay connected to others. But is that necessarily a good thing? Outlets such as Twitter and Facebook are often like a running stream of consciouness where everything a person is thinking is spewed so all the world can see. "I went to the bathroom." "OMG they are out of granola." Or it may take the form of therapy or journaling. Folks post stuff like, " Another lonely night at home since my ex dumped me." Really?! I have been guilty on relying on social media to catch up with my dear friends and to be nosey regarding the lives of my not so dear friends. However, what my hiatus reiterated for me is that it is better to build real time relationships rather than to be a virtual voyeur peeking and prying into the lives of others. Just my 25 cents....