Social media: How to get to know someone without even speaking

I don’t think it is a big secret that this day and age social media seems to rule the world.

I remember when I first got a Myspace and thought I was the shit because I had enough friends to fill out a top 16. Even before that was AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) where you could actually make up your own screen name and remain completely anonymous and chat it up with other sixth graders stuck in their awkward stage.

Now, there are to many social networks to keep track of. I myself went from having Myspace…to Facebook…to Twitter…to Instagram…to Snapchat…to a blog. Now there is even TInder, the most shallow dating website that has ever existed (yeah, admittedly, I have used it).

It is pretty cool to have all of these things, however I really don’t like the direction society is going in. I am thankful I grew up when I did because if I was in Junior High right now with all of these social media outlets to escape to, I would not even know how to hold a normal conversation with someone without feeling awkward or feeling the need to check my iPhone 5 buzzing in my back pocket. It kind of makes me sick when I go out to eat and 99.5% of the people in the restaurant are either A) staring at their phones and not even communicating with each other or B) watching their phones diligently while they sit next to them at the table.

I am not saying I have never been guilty of either of these things, but at least I am aware of it because it is kind of scary when people don’t realize they are being rude while they are staring at their glowing screen while someone is trying to actually have a face to face conversation with them. I think something needs to be done before all humans are no longer capable holding eye contact for more than one second while talking to someone.

This brings me to the concept of ”creeping.” Everyone, and I mean everyone who has social media is guilty of this. For example, you see a hot guy or girl at a party, you talk to them for a little bit, get their name and maybe where they are from and BOOM you have everything you need to cyber stalk them. You can get to know everything about a person before you even go out on a first date and it is a little bit freaky. You can even meet someone online, get their number, text, and get to know everything about them without ever even meeting them. And people still wonder why here are so many people getting “catfished” now a days…

I personally think social media kind of ruins the dating world. Conversations are so much more boring now because there is barely any mystery. Sure, you can ask them a question about their beliefs or travels and what not, but how many people are guilty of asking a question they already know the answer to as a result of scrolling back 2 years on their Facebook page? (And if you deny it, you are a liar, especially you ladies).

Social media is a great tool but it can also be easily abused. The whole point of this was to try and make people aware of what is happening to the world. Next time you’re at the dinner table, maybe put your phone on silent and tuck it away somewhere you can’t see it, it’ll make it that much more exciting to look at after dinner anyway. Or maybe next time you meet someone you are interested in, try to withhold from adding/following them on every social network until AFTER you go on a date and you might have a great face-to-face conversation because everything is still a mystery. You can even try not to share every single thing about your life on social media and prevent those creepers from creepin.

Keep it mysterious people, it makes life a bit more exciting.