Social media and technology play a daily role in nearly everyone’s life. Take a walk down the street, and it probably won’t be five minutes until someone appears with a phone in hand, oblivious to the real world. Although we use our phones as a form of entertainment, they could be more detrimental to our advancement as a society than we may think.
On average, college students spend 3.6 hours a day on their smartphones, according to campusquad.com. That doesn’t seem like a long time, but depending on the day, students could spend more time on their phones than they do in class.
It’s a typical weekday night. I walk into the Hickey with a few of my friends; we set our things down at a table, grab some food and sit down to have dinner. The Hickey is one of the best places on campus to people watch. There are always a variety of students in there (although the same faces show up often) so it’s simple entertainment to observe others while enjoying a meal.
I’ve recently noticed that while many tables look happy and engaged in a good discussion with one another, another large portion of students are focused on their cell phones. If you’re sitting alone, it’s understandable that you might feel compelled to check Twitter or Instagram. However, when you’re surrounded by your best friends, laughing and telling stories, someone’s Facebook status shouldn’t be more important than face-to-face interaction.
I’ll be the first one to admit that I check social media too often. In fact, almost every free second I have throughout the day is spent looking at others’ Instagram photos. For whatever reason, it’s fun to take a look into someone else’s life, even if it’s just through a picture of them in front of a notable landmark. The problem with Instagram and other social media sites arises when people feel the need to share every aspect of their lives. I’m sorry if I hurt any feelings, but no one cares to see a picture of your lunch.
Twitter seems to create a great deal of problems for students. People take their real-life arguments with others and post them on the website: thus, the “sub-tweet” is born. A “sub-tweet” is a term used to describe the mentioning of a person without actually tagging them in the tweet. I’ve seen countless stupid fights on Twitter that most likely wouldn’t have even been arguments if they were handled in person.
When these sites are used properly, they are wonderful. Bonaventure has its own Instagram page, which features beautiful photos of the campus and nature surrounding it. It’s positive, and many students choose to follow the account to show pride for the school. There are also a multitude of Bonaventure Twitter accounts—admissions, sports teams and clubs all contribute to the website. It’s convenient to be able to check on the score of a game or when the next club meeting is, so Twitter is helpful in that aspect.
Social media can be a positive thing if it’s used for the right reasons and in small doses. No one is going to benefit from staring at his or her phone for hours at a time. Limiting the time spent mindlessly scrolling through posts can open our minds to a new world and make the time spent with others more meaningful.
kolbee14@bonaventure.edu
