Bridgewater, Va. – Almost everyone is on social media. 

According to ourworldindata.org, one out of every three people are registered on some form of social media. This leads all of us to have our own networks and channels of communication; some necessary, some not. We are constantly checking our notifications, accounts, and posts in order to stay informed of not only important news but also trivial things like what someone did this past weekend. 

Sharing aspects of life to an audience online can be a good thing, as relationships, families and communities can be formed online, but there are dangers to it as well. One such danger is oversharing as users believe that the more clicks and likes they get, the more people want to know about their experiences, thoughts, and opinions. This causes the user to overshare to their followers, which in some cases can have unintended consequences.

Social media is no longer being used for its original purpose. Instagram was originally a platform for photographers to post their work. Facebook was a system that allowed college students to communicate in a campus-wide network. It is not necessarily detrimental that these platforms have evolved into their current forms, but this has also caused a change in societal values.

More often than not, people don’t realize that they are oversharing until it is too late because there is this idea that “everyone else is doing it.” The problem with this is that it leads to a culture where we are constantly comparing ourselves to one another, where we care more about how many followers someone has rather than what kind of person they are. Society is less concerned about traditional values and more concerned about clout and fame. 

These two things do not last. 

Just as the purpose of social media has changed, the way in which we use it should too. These platforms are designed to keep users on for as long as possible: they want more posts, shares and likes. The big question is why. What is the point of posting every single aspect of your life online? 

Taking a break from social media should be a priority for all of us. Completely logging off and taking the time to disconnect from a screen and reconnect to the people around you is important. Incessant social media use must stop at some point because it is not healthy nor is it necessary. 

We may live in a Digital Age, but that does not mean we have to conform to it.