The one app that revolutionized the current social media era that people are going through is Facebook. I remember when I started my Facebook page. The world was such a different place; especially since people warded away from going near Facebook because of the new topic called cyber bullying.

Now there are twelve-, eleven-, even some ten-year-old people, lying about their age just to explore the world of Facebook.

Seriously, what’s up with that part? Everyone, and I do mean everyone, at some point, gets caught up in the world that is social media. I’ve built a partial career in journalism on it, thank you Blogger.

I just can’t wrap my head around the desperate need for a Facebook page, and our social media trimmings. Has social media become the new caffeine; so addictive that you can only think about immersing yourself in it more? Or has it become similar to alcohol; a drug that people abuse on a daily basis without feeling bad? I couldn’t help but wonder.

Why is social media so addictive?

I spoke with a friend of mine who said, “It gives you an application with the real world and society. You can keep up with the latest news, and most people talk through social media. It’s a big documentation of their lives, and they can share it all over the world”.

For some information on why social media is addictive I went to my friend Dalton, who uses Facebook on a daily basis, said, “It depends on how it’s used; social media helps us stay connected to people far away.” After that I started to wonder, is it used for more than that?

Later that day, my friend, Mohamed, needed some help with his homework, and considering the subject was history, he knew I couldn’t say no. Knowing that he’s always using social media I couldn’t resist but to ask for his take on the subject of its addictiveness. Mohamed said, “The world has changed to a place where people go to social media to express opinions, but at the same time, it can control the mind and has changed the way people communicate.”

A girl named Cookie stopped by my room to hang out and chat with Mohamed, Dalton, Kevin and myself. I asked Cookie about being addicted to social media, and she burst out saying, “YES! It is so addictive. It’s an easy way to have conversation, and it fills a void when you don’t have anyone to talk to. You gain knowledge, and it’s an easy way to find a laugh.”

When it came down to asking my roommate, Kevin, he said, “The standards for social media are different. It usually asks you what’s your full name, date of birth, hobbies, etc. Normally, if you walk up to a person you are trying to get to know, you would be hesitant to give that information out.”

The friend I spoke to earlier in the day also said that it was dangerous. “Cyberbullying, and the risk of online predators pose a threat to many social media goers. A lot of people can lie on the internet. And don’t get me started on the amount of drama!”

The World Wide Web. It’s been the key player in the rise and fall of many people. In 1994 a 22-year-old woman lost her entire credibility due to one of the largest problems facing America, she was in love. Unfortunately, it was with her married boss, and her boss was the President of the United States.

Yes, Monica S. Lewinsky was patient zero in cyberbullying. She gave her first public speech in over a decade at the Forbes 30 under 30 Summit. It’s such an inspiration to watch because she tells the side of the story that people may not have heard about.

One key point she brings out in her speech is that this scandal was the first time newspapers, magazines, radio, or television were usurped by the internet. Now that the internet has become a part of everyday life; finding news online has become a part of the social norm. The age old saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword” comes into play here.

If social media is so addictive, and people are using the keyboard more than the pen; what happens now? I soon found out.

Recently, my dad called me, and as we got to talking he mentioned that when it comes to writing, the pen is a friend. The thought marinated in my mind for a moment, and then he explained what he meant. The pen will never judge you, but will always bring out your inner thoughts, regardless of what they are.

It got me thinking about what social media is made for. It’s made to talk with people about your innermost thoughts, regardless of what they are. Considering the fact that the keyboard is slowly replacing the pen, I was stunned to discover that this is what it’s all for. Social media isn’t bad or addictive, but it has become somewhat… human.

Social media is like a person. Sure, it’s going to start its life doing good things for the world, but when it’s exposed to the world, it slowly begins to develop deviant qualities. It was used in the demise of Monica Lewinsky over a private matter of the heart, but at the same time it can be used to express those inner thoughts that you just can’t say to a person. So instead we have turned to a computer screen for a small form of comfort.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s not so bad after all. Considering the fact that all the world’s a Facebook page, it’s not so bad when we curl up in front of our computers to let our thoughts pour out onto the keys; or if we’re a little old fashioned, they go through a pen and into a book.

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