As society continues to become more informed and technology continues to improve rapidly, I think that taking a step back and recognizing that even though technology provides humans with efficient short cuts and accessible information, it also plays a toll on how humans live and interact with each other.

Even though I did not grow up in the pre-cell phone/technology/social media generation, I can see how all of these have altered and changed our human ways.

The biggest problem that I see with humans living mobile lives is the lack of human interaction. Growing up I always knew the stereotype of homeschooled kids not having many social skills or interactions with others, but I think that social media and technology trumps that stereotype. Especially considering that I have personally interacted with someone who was homeschooled and if anything, that gave us more to talk about than someone who was constantly checking their phone.

Today, I think that that it is more normal to send a text than it is to call, or even physically meeting up with someone. And even on the rare occasion when we do meet in person, we are so addicted to our phones that a real conversation is uncommon and almost unknown.

I think this is incredibly sad simply because humans are amazing and interesting! We all come from different backgrounds, moral compasses and even different parts of the world! Especially considering being on a college campus sets students up for success right away.

A real conversation should be inevitable and normal! We have so much to learn and can simply do so by talking with people, but instead, we choose to merely rely on Google and our mobile profiles.

Another way that I see the detriments of social media and technology, in general, is the self-image and profiling. Self-image has been a huge problem since social media was created. Huffpost.com states, “60% of people using social media reported that it has impacted their self-esteem in a negative way.”

Social media is nothing but a platform for all our highlight reels. Everyone posting their extravagant vacation trips, job promotions, perfect hair and nails, you name it, someone has posted it.

Along with decreased self-image, social media makes it immensely easy for people to profile others or ‘get to know them’ without ever physically meeting them.

I think this is dangerous and not fair for the person being profiled. While a social media profile can give a taste of what someone is like, it fails to present one’s true emotions, characteristics and personality.

With society being sheltered and entrapped into the mobile world, it promotes and accepts this type of judging. I know I am guilty of looking someone up on their social media profiles and making assumptions of who they are as a person before getting to know them truly, and I wish this wasn’t the case, but this is our world today.

I think that it is important to always remember that someone’s social media life is not who they are in reality and getting to know someone in the flesh can be one of the biggest blessings in life.