I’m addicted to Social Media and so are you.
Has the internet ruined our perspectives on everything positive in life? Why do we think everything is too good to be true? Are we too far gone?
Nearly everyone has social media. It’s not a secret that most of us are addicted to it. However, everyone’s media algorithm is different. They target audiences based on gender, age, race, and more. Algorithm data has grown exponentially over recent years. When you would like one piece of media, suddenly, it’s one of the only topics you’ll see. In more recent years, media depicting poor ideals of relationships, sex, and violence have become almost…popularized.
The algorithm system is destroying us, and people know it. I’ve talked to a number of people who have shared their stories about losing people close to them due to the harmful ideologies that have circulated through social media. I’ve had it happen to me. All said that if it wasn’t for the algorithm that was presented to their loved ones, they would still be in contact with them. Violence, sex, misogyny, etc., are present in social media such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms that are easily accessible to all ages.
According to Tessian, a cybersecurity company, starting in 2025, about 80% of people overshare their personal information on the internet. Social media and new technologies can pose various dangers; however, as people become more acclimated to it and more invested in wanting to share their lives with friends and family through media platforms, they get too comfortable exposing themselves. Have we gotten too comfortable?
There are a lot of innocent people on the internet, with an equal amount of hateful ones. According to Pew Research Center, in 2020, about 64% of U.S. Citizens said that social media has a negative effect on how things are going in the U.S. regarding the government and civilian life. It’s become normalized to see horrible messages and posts that are supposed to come across as funny.
I’ve talked to various UNR students who have shared their stories with me, ranging from failed romantic relationships to doxxing. I have even lost people I cared for due to the ideals of cynicism that are present in our pockets.
No one should have constant access to negativity. How can we be content with ourselves, if we constantly think everyone is out to get us? We would never truly feel comfortable with other people, always second-guessing ourselves and our relationships. Who wants to be in a position where you always feel like you’re walking on eggshells?
I can say that I’m also addicted to media and sometimes overshare on my social platforms. I relate to being exposed to negative ideals and almost being coerced into thinking that everyone I know isn’t who they say they are and that the love they give isn’t genuine. It’s terrifying second-guessing everything one cares about.
The only way things will ever change is if we accept that online cynicism is just as the definition says it is: a belief. Cynicism is not reality. Some people care, and no one is out to get us. So, we need to stop listening so much to other people and think for ourselves.
Alex Psak can be reached via email at apsak@unr.edu or on Instagram @alexandrapsak.
