Potentially Dry

Hey There,

Have you ever considered the emotional evolution of humanity? I became fixated on the concept as I was thinking about our attachment to social media. There is nothing innovative about studying the effects that social media has had on our society. This generation has the opportunity to become connected in ways that were not possible in history, and have immediate access to masses of information. #duh. Pragmatically, this principle has had effects on our ability to meet people, and the extent of our knowledge. What I am curious about though, is the emotional evolution that that has been provoked through our ability to express ourselves. I assume that every domain of humanity has somewhat "evolved" throughout history- our constructs, the way we look, the way we think, the way we "do life" in general. How have we, as a society, evolved in our emotional capacities and reactions to feelings? Though I would not be able to come to a resolution myself, I would confidently attribute the use of social media to the evolution of emotion. While "evolution" carries a neutral connotation, I've developed a perspective of effects that are distinctively positive and negative. Viewed in an optimistic light, the use of social media is responsible for providing an expanded outlet for expression. Thoughts can be more clearly articulated and communicated. Sometimes we dont want to tell anyone what is going on in our head except for twitter. There develops a support system among "followers" and "friends" who appear interested in the digital footprint that their contact is leaving. Derived is an opportunity for relationships, encouragement, and support that may have previously proven to be more difficult to come by. But when does this said support and encouragement become an unhealthy need? If we have any innate social norms, they have become violated through our obsession with social media. I recently heard a report on the news from a "facebook analyst" and I wasn't surprised that someone saw a need great enough to develop such an occupation. I fear the sincerity of our words and language becoming threatened as a result of our access to communication. Our ability to reach each other and advance along with technology should not be spared or limited, but we should take into consideration the way it has caused us to perceive ourselves and each other.