What Would People Do Without Social Media?

UNITED STATES—I think this is something that very much could become a reality, but I don’t think much of America sees it that way. We have so much talk these days about technology and Artificial Intelligence and how it is dominating the lives of Americans. Recently, I read news from actors Chris Evans and Taron Egerton who noted they were taking breaks from social media for a while and it got me thinking, what happened if social media ceased to exist?

It is a question I don’t think lots of Americans think about, but it is something they NEED to seriously think about because it is vital people. Technology is honky and it is hit or miss at times. I recently witnessed a conversation between two journalists, one a bit older and one a bit younger about internet. The older journalist noted growing up he did not have access to the internet so if there was a black out of sorts, he would know how to navigate it. The younger journalist was flabbergasted by this acknowledgement.

Wow, we have lived a very long time without internet, so this notion that you cannot operate without the internet is complete baloney. Now could it hurt businesses that rely solely on the internet they can take a massive hit. You have to consider preparation in case something like that arises or takes place. I was almost stunned to hear the one journalist reply as if the older journalist should have had access to the internet.

However, the reality is plenty of people in this country still do not have access to internet on a daily basis. The internet is not free, you have to pay for it and visiting the library or a local restaurant to access free Wi-Fi can only do so much. Those who live in poverty stricken regions do not have regular access to the internet and people shouldn’t assume everyone does just because they do.

However, the big thing with the internet is the access to social media. The phrase social media influencer just makes me want to puke. Look, go get a damn job, but at the same time I cannot knock someone’s hustle, I just know my kids are not going to be pushing this notion that they want to post products and things on the internet for a living. No, you’re going to actively work doing something that doesn’t involve you sitting behind a screen and pushing products you don’t even use or like simply because you get a paycheck.

With that said, Twitter has implemented some new terms recently limiting the content that people can see and it left so many people in an uproar. I guess we love seeing what people are tweeting in terms of what they’re doing or Intel they have garnered. I think that is what separates Twitter from all the other social media platforms: it is quick access to information. In addition, so many people just use it and it’s a simple process that limits how many words you can use which is what I love about Twitter, but I’m not reliant on it.

I am NOT someone who gets up in the morning or goes to sleep at night worried about what people are posting on social media. I have a life, I have to work, I have responsibilities, I have family and I have other pressing things that are at the top of the priority list. If social media ceased to exist for a day, my world is not going to end. If it ceased to exist for a month, 6 months, hell a year, I would be able to survive, but I’m not so sure on the rest of society.

They have become so engrained with social media being a part of life that notion of living a day without access to it, would probably drive some people insane. What would they do without social media on their phone? Hmmm, let’s see: actually TALK TO PEOPLE! I think social media helps us in some aspects because we can connect with a lot of people, but then it makes us dummies.

People are so glued and engrained with their phones that is the only thing we see and focus on, which is so troubling. There is only 24 hours in a single day, and if you’re spending 8 sleeping and 8 working, that leaves 8 hours. The reality is some people spend more time on social media than sleeping and working, and that is sad. I almost want to see social media not exist for a single week just to see how Americans navigate. The kids, the tweens, the teens, the young adults, middle-aged adults, baby boomers and even the older ones people. Could we survive? I think so, but the question is how much will people complain not having it?