Is social media ruling our world? (by Maria Jose Flores Rojas)

Introduction

I am glad that my friend, Maria take keen on interest to contribute her story in my blog post. We have been talked about her article contribution on my blog since the beginning of this year, but I just got time to publish her article at this moment because I have been busy moved to Bali since a couple months ago.

Anyway, a glance about Maria, she was a Darmasiswa Scholarship awardee from Mexico. She has been placed to study Indonesian Cultures and Arts in Universitas Surabaya, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. I met her during English Camp conducted by Business English Program, Politeknik Universitas Surabaya in November 2017. Having the same background as an exchange student, Maria and I were getting along quickly.  We shared the same feeling how to adjust new culture and favorite food, tacos!!

In this blog post, Maria wrote an article about social media and the impact in millennials life. The credit of the content goes to Maria. I really love to have her as my blog contributor. So, guys please check this out. You'll enjoy reading Maria's article. 😉

Is social media ruling our world?

By: Maria Jose Flores Rojas

Lately, I have heard that I belong to this generation that loves technology; the famous millennials so I have all the social media accounts that demand this generation if I want to be part of this digital world where most of the millennials spend 90% of their time. In a nutshell, I have Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Line, WeChat and off course I have the newest gadgets to communicate ASAP like my MacBook, iPad and my iPhone. I am part of the 2.8 billion global social media users that in 2017 the social management platform Hootsuite registered.  With all this interconnection to get in touch with all our friends in social media we can assume that we are closer to them but what if we just only get used to be alone together?

Meanwhile, I am typing in my laptop in a coffee shop I see a group of friends sitting together not talking each other some of them are just holding their cellphones in front of their eyes watching instastories while others are writing a message. No one says a world they just smile to their screen. After seeing this scenario, I ask myself: Are we getting used to being together but without being? When a machine became more important than have a nice talk with our friends? That is what I mean with alone together; a person who is accompanied but technically alone because is ignoring his companions.

Like I said in the begging of the text I am considered being a millennial because I was born in this period of time when the internet and technology started becoming part of our life. I am 24 years old and I am definitely not an anti-globalization person or an old soul of the 20´s who refuses to use technology because off course that I have taken advantage of this new era of global communications but what happen to me and I can assure that also to more persons is that I am concerned about how we have abused of the social media and all time that we spend in our cellphones.  That is why it comes to my mind that if we are looking the world through the screen? Do we know how much we are losing because we can not stop looking our cellphones?  Are we scared to be unnoticed? That is why we focus our attention in our social media account?

Also, I am worry about of the humanity that I don’t see in this humpback persons with their eyes always watching a screen not saying a word and not carrying for have a small conversation with the person next to them. When talking is part of our own nature where we can share and express ideas. Even make our day great because someone gives us some nice words or share us a smile.

Once again I question myself Is social media ruling our world? This is a question that we have to analyze each one and make a review of all the time we spend in our cell phones so when we detect that we are ignoring the person in front of us, we have the initiative to put down our cellphone and start having a good chat. There is a lot to hear and share, we can give quality time to our family and friends or even to finish some professional or academic tasks.

So lets heads up and enjoy the moment in real life not on line!

About the author

Maria Jose Flores lived in Indonesia for 6 months. She has B.S. in Management and International Business by Universidad Panamericana. She enjoys to swim and do crossfit. Her recommendations of poets to read are Jaime Sabines and Mario Benedetti.