Remember when TV’s weighed 1000 pounds, and the main source of entertainment they provided was the news? Or how about computers? Who else remembers the age of dial up internet? If you’re under twenty years old you probably don’t know what I’m talking about. Our generation is the very last of it’s kind. The very last to have grown up with minimal technology, and for this I am thankful.

Despite this reminiscent blast from the past, it can’t be denied that social media has it’s benefits. People from all around the globe are able to communicate. Quicker and faster information is always at our fingertips, and there are many sites that allow us to form connections with others, for example, blog sites, common interest sites, facetime, dating apps, and more. But what do we define as a connection?

Extremely easy access to one another’s lives comes with it’s own challenges, and in my opinion, many of them are less than beneficial. The bridge between learning how to communicate with others and form relationships is deteriorating. Take dating for example. Working up the courage to talk to someone you like can be nerve wrecking, especially if you don’t have the social skills to properly engage in such an interaction. With the option of social media, this route to connection is often lost, and people everywhere are building less and less in person relationships. So what does this mean for future generations? When dates become a dime a dozen, and people don’t have to put in the time or the energy. Just take a look at the statistics..

In 2017 in the US alone, 59 million people on average used 2.4 different dating services, with Tinder in the lead at a whopping 42%. But the harsh statistics don’t end there. 52% of online daters admitted that dating apps have made them more judgmental of people’s looks, and the industry is estimated to be worth a hefty $3billion dollars. (DatingSitesReviewers.com, Nov 5th, 2018)
But dating apps are only on small slice of the pie that is social media. And to truly understand the negative impact social media is having, we must turn to future generations. So how is social media affecting the kids of today?

I’ve witnessed first hand, the impacts this new era is having on future generations. In fact, It’s more than likely that you have as well. Have you ever thought a park seemed just a bit to quiet? Or seen a child just a bit too young to be grasping that phone? I know I have. An unfortunate and inevitable element of life is that we all have a set amount of time. What we do with this time makes all the difference. Social media is robbing us of this time. To truly experience childhood, or any point in life for that matter, we must put down our phones and live.

https://www.datingsitesreviews.com/staticpages/index.php?page=Online-Dating-Industry-Facts-Statistics

(460)

Lainah Daling