Twitter: Pros and Cons

So recently (and by recently I mean this past semester) I joined Twitter. It’s part of my job as being an Online Ambassador for The College of Saint Rose to communicate on Twitter to prospective students. I’m also required to share about the college through Twitter (and other social networking sites), so at the beginning of my employment, I thought it would be a good idea to finally join the “Twitterverse.”

Image taken from Google

Boy, I did not know what I was getting myself into! Before long, I began tweeting about the silliest things – homework assignments, conversations with friends, and things that were happening in my daily life. I couldn’t stop tweeting! I was psyched to have an outlet that would let me say basically anything that was on my mind and not get harassed about it. It was nice to have a socially acceptable way to say what I was thinking. Not only that, but it was a great way to share wonderful things that are happening on the Saint Rose campus!

As I approach this second semester of my junior year (and have tweeted almost 2,000 times), I have to wonder if  the people of my generation are losing something through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my social networking sites; I love connecting with people via the internet, and I love staying in contact with people that live a long distance away. It’s a great way to share photos (I post a photo everyday), and a great way to share opinions with others. There are so many pros to social networking sites that it’s a bit overwhelming. But I sometimes sit on my really comfy bed, stare at my computer screen, and wonder: what am I missing?

Think about it: what are we missing out on? We are blessed with technology, but are we losing something important? Our parents and our grandparents connected with people face to face, not through the internet. They played outside, not through a computer. They made real connections with people. They laughed, cried, and made great memories. They lived. While we do have the capability to also live through these experiences, it seems harder for the children of the technological era to connect with people face to face. I know people my age who have a hard time making phone calls! That, to me, is sad.

So a question I’m asking myself through this blog post is this: are we losing our capability to connect with people face to face? Are we finding it hard to truly talk to people? Or will we recover from this social hump and make even better connections through technology?

Let’s remember that in the end, the reason for these social networking sites is to connect with people. Let’s utilize this technology to share our thoughts, our hopes, and our dreams with each other. At the same time, let’s remember to live and to enjoy being with each other. Let’s make real connections with people in real life. Luckily, we have an amazing community at The College of Saint Rose to do just that – make connections!

Comment with your thoughts about this topic – is social networking enhancing our ability to connect, or taking away from it? What can we do to make sure we don’t lose our social skills to really talk to people in person?

If you would like to hear my rantings on Twitter, follow me: @GennyD812 🙂