My name is Sophie and I am a social media addict. Now I know what you’re thinking but don’t laugh, this is a serious matter I promise.
Confession time, how many of you have Facebook to thank for reminding you of one of your best friends upcoming birthdays? How many of you have experienced that awful moment when you discover your friend is now in a serious relationship and you had no idea she was even dating? It’s those awkward moments that made me realise I rely far too much on the powers of social media to stay close and connected to my friends when in reality we couldn’t be further apart.
When one of my best friends recently told me that she felt I was just always too busy to make any time for her I felt awful, naturally.
I always thought my friends and I had amazing relationships, we would text here and there, have the odd get together on a night out and all the other times I could keep tabs on them via social media. It was easy and it was practical and it seemed to work, at least I thought it did. When one of my best friends recently told me that she felt I was just always too busy to make any time for her I felt awful, naturally.
She is my best friend and I love her to pieces, I was also slightly annoyed as I couldn’t understand how she didn’t see that I just never have a spare moment to myself. It then hit me that she really wasn’t being unreasonable at all, as her best friend it is only right that she would expect a little more from me than the odd like or comment or tag to a video of a talking cat.
It’s never easy finding the time to meet up for a coffee but when we do we have the best time
I guess I have grown to realise that life is too short, it’s cliche but it’s true, I could spend all of my spare time cramming in work and trying to reach deadlines whilst tearing my hair out or I could plan my time more effectively, stay up a little later and make room for those who I love. It’s never easy finding the time to meet up for a coffee but when we do we have the best time, we laugh until we cry just like we used to back at school, it may not be as easy as staying connected to her through Facebook but it means I now make the effort to ask about work and relationships and I know she appreciates that.
After the dreadful realisation that I was actually a bit of a rubbish friend, I decided to switch off from social media altogether and try to focus my attention on the five really close friends I do have as opposed to my 265 virtual online “friends”. Most of my Facebook friends are people from my old high school that I probably couldn’t stand and several family members that I’ve never even met. The idea that we seem so interested in having as many online friends as possible is a strange concept, it’s so easy to forget to make a real effort with the ones we really do genuinely care about especially when a like or a comment is only a few clicks away.
It does make you think, though, is social media bringing us all closer together or is it actually just tearing us apart?
I’d do this if it didn’t mean losing connections with my friends on the other side of the world :/ I completely believe that social media is ruining “friendship.” I mean, no wonder nobody hangs out anymore.
http://www.MarinaSays.com
I can completely relate and I also don’t have a Facebook account anymore I think that I don’t have to be updated on what the 300 virtual ‘FRIENDS’ are up to in their life. And for my real friends and family there are ways to communicate more personal:)
Great Post <3
I wish I could delete my Facebook as I totally relate to all of these things! I’m going travelling for a year next September though and I feel it’s my best means of staying in contact – definitely something to consider for when I return though. It’s much more personal to stay in contact in other ways and makes you appreciate contact so much more!
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