Impact of social media on our lives

Technology has made the lives of many people easier, especially with the creation of the social media. Today the social media has gone beyond tweeting about your accomplishments or uploading images to show your latest achievements. Because of its fame, the social media can be seen as a means of acquiring popularity. Only a few years ago when most of the social platforms we are using were created, not everyone gave much thought to how much impact it would have in people’s lives.

And today, these platforms have been used in various ways other than a means for chatting. But then, what is the social media?

BusinessDictionary.com defines the social media as “an internet or cellular phone based application and tool to share information among people. Social media includes popular networking websites, like Facebook and Twitter. It involves blogging and forums and any aspect of an interactive presence which allows individuals the ability to engage in conversations with one another, often as a discussion over a particular blog post, news article, or event.”

In other words, the social media are websites and applications that allow its users to create and share content, or to participate in social networking. While some people think that social media destroys human interaction and real life relationships, others think it is a blessing. LifeXtra spoke to some people to know if the social media really had an impact in their lives and what it was. We got very interesting responses.

David Lein Victor, a poet said “Yes. Social media has been a wonderful tool to me because through it, I can reach a wider audience. And because I read more than I write, I have learnt a lot through social media when it comes to my area of expertise.

“The social media helped with the spread of my writing, now I have gained more followers across all social media platforms. Social media has helped me generate leads, sales, get better contacts and establish a close relationship with individuals. I believe one gets back what he gives to social media. You give value, you receive value. You give nothing, you receive nothing,” he concluded.

Merry Henry, a mother of one also said “A lot of impact.” Relating her experience, she said “I first met and knew my husband in 2004. We were just friends and then they all had to move to the U.S. We lost contact until 2009 and this was where the social media played a role after that. It was always cheaper and better to talk via Skype and Ovoo, and it was nicer because the calls were live videos and we could talk as long as we wanted.”

Speaking further, she narrated how the social networking site Facebook helped them to remain constantly in touch even after they got married and also how it helped her husband to be a part of their daughter’s life from conception to birth. “We spoke more than once every day and each call could last nothing less than an hour sometimes up to 5 hours or more. Video calls via social media were just the best way for my husband to behold his daughter because his work wouldn’t let him travel down so he was in her life from antenatal visits to delivery to all her immunization visits to her play, her bath time, when she started sitting and crawling and even her first step.

“I don’t think it would have been this easy if it was just voice calls and messages because even with the video calls it wasn’t totally easy but it was better than just voice calls and short messaging. So yes, the social media helped us a lot to keep steady communication and WhatsApp voice calls too helped,” she concluded.

An activist, Chidi C. Chilaka said “Social media has been the best thing that happened to planet earth…The gains are just too numerous to mention. Where do I start? Is it the reach? How one’s view can now trend among a global audience while sitting in the comfort of their homes. It’s just so amazing.”