Social media has changed our lives in many different ways. Have those changes been for the better or the worse? Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and the many other social networking sites that are an everyday part of our lives have influenced the world in numerous ways. The face of our economy has changed drastically over the past years. In the past, businesses advertised their products based on how the public would perceive the product prior to purchase. Today, businesses must focus on how products are perceived after the purchase. Social media provides an outlet for consumers to tell the world about their purchases. If the consumer isn’t happy, social media will spread the word of the inferior product far and wide. Social media provides consumers with knowledge. Type in the name of a product on a search engine you are interested in purchasing and opinions are widespread on the internet. Between mainstream social media outlets like Facebook, blogs, magazines, newspapers, and other outlets, product reviews are common place in today’s society. In the past, consumers needing a new product were limited to the local stores in their area. You went in the store, made a choice based on the guidance of the sales person in the store. Today, consumers can purchase the same item with the click of a button on their computer, with knowledge about the product and the ability to order the product from the most cost effective supplier, even if that supplier happens to be located across the globe.

Environmentally, we choose to think social media has increased our ability to live “greener”. In many ways, this may be true. Our mail, bills, and personal correspondence is conducted on line with no need for paper copies. However, the electricity required to run the computers we use in our daily lives maybe much higher environmentally than the historic way. Coal fired energy plants are making a significant contribution to global warming. Digital media technology uses significant amounts of electricity generated by these coal fired plants. The concern over “saving a tree” by not printing correspondence can be just as environmentally destructive. Mountain top removal coal mining is a major cause of deforestation and contributes to the pollution of many of the rivers and streams in the United States. Loss of habitat for the many animals and plants on that mountain is occurring regularly from the mining for coal and other fuels used in our daily lives. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the electricity consumed by data centers in the United States doubled from 2000 to 2006, reaching 60 billion kilowatt hours per year. Our children are growing up in a technology driven world. Thirty years ago, cell phones were not common place. Radio stations were the source of music, television was predominately local channels, and computers were used only in business. Our children today have iPods, MP3 players and rarely listen to the radio. Watching television, we constantly wonder how we have 300 channels and “there is nothing” worth watching. Telephones no longer hang on the wall; they are in our hands, in our pockets and never far from reach. Our relationships are suffering in more ways than one. With social media, we are less personally involved in each other’s lives. Socially, we text message, email, and communicate facelessly on our computers. Physical interaction with one another is no longer the accepted way of communication. But we are losing the ability to interact with one another and in turn, our social skills are becoming non-existent. Relationships are crumbling as we embrace the technology of our times. As an example, family dinners were a time for the group to sit down together and interact. Today, we are more likely to be exchanging text messages or emails, watching videos, or listening to music instead of communicating with our loved ones. As relationships begin to crumble, our lives will become more and more isolated because of our dependence on social media. In some ways, education has fallen at the hands of social media but gained ground in other ways. Personally, I am achieving the once distant dream of completing my college education in large part because of social media. As more and more Facebook friends posted their college accomplishments on their “walls”, I began to research the cost of obtaining my degree. Without first learning of Ashworth College on Facebook, I would not have even begun to realize the ability I have in continuing my education. While social media enhanced my ability to complete college courses, it has proven a hindrance to our children. Students who spend time on social media sites are less likely to be able to communicate effectively. Additionally, many students attempt to multi-task, checking Facebook, watching you tube, or text messaging during school or study times are negatively affected. Their ability to concentrate is reduced by distractions and as a result, grades are suffering.

There are numerous positive aspects of social media. However, social media has played a large part in the destruction of the moral and ethical values of our country. Marriages and families are torn apart in large part due to the influences of social media. Sex, immorality, and immodesty are widely available on the internet. As a child growing up in the 1970’s, I can remember my parent’s taking our family to see Smokey and the Bandit in the movie theater. My grandmother was appalled by the thought of her grandchildren watching “that pornographic” movie. Watching that movie today, I laugh at the thought of her concern that we might realize exactly what was implied by the Bandit’s hat hanging on the antenna of the car. Today, sex is blatantly obvious in every aspect of our lives, but in no greater form than on social media. Spouses are regularly caught “cheating” with text messages, instant messages, and emails and on social media sites. “Sexting” seen by some as an innocent communication with no physical relationship can destroy the moral fabric of a family. The availability of pornographic web sites has eroded the morals of our country. Children are accessing the sites routinely and sharing that information with each other on social media. Social media used in moderation and with ethical and moral responsibility is a wonderful addition to our lives, but social media should only be an addition to our lives, not a way of life and our only life.