Social Media: Can Social Media Make People Flaky?

It is now easier than ever before for people to stay in contact with each other, and this can happen through words being exchanged on a screen or through a conversation taking place with a camera. The only piece of equipment someone needs, in order for this to occur, is a Smartphone.

For instance, if someone has a friend or a family member who moves to another country, they can still talk to them as much as they would if they lived in a same area. Distance is no longer a factor, and while this is not going to be same as speaking to them in person, it is better than loosing contact or only talking to them a few times a year.

Constantly Connected

Through having the technology to maintain constant contact with others, it is no longer necessary for someone to be by themselves. There are always going to be people they can talk to through using social media.

Now, these can be people they actually know and/or they can be people who they have met online. And if someone is unable to enjoy their own time, this will be something that may make their life easier.

Events

It is also going to be easier for one to find out about any events that are taking place around them. This could relate to something one of their friends has created, or it may relate to a page that they have liked.

If they didn’t use social media, it may cause them to miss out on these events. But when someone does use it, it is no longer necessary for them to miss out on what is taking place.

Making Plans

Not only is it easier for someone to make plans when it comes to what event(s) they will go to, it is also easier for them to make plans with their friends. Arranging a night out or a trip to the coffee shop, for instance, is only a few clicks away.

And if anything changes between when the plan is made and when they are going to meet, the only thing they need to do is to send them another message. What this can mean is that although a plan has been made, there is always the chance that it can be changed at any moment.

It’s Easy

When someone talks to another person over a screen, it is going to be a lot easier for them to change their mind, and this is partly because there is less pressure. Whereas if they were talking to the person in the real world; they are going to have a radically different experience.

And if a plan has been made over a screen, it could be said that it is not the same as if a plan has been made in person, and this can come down to the fact that the sane level of emotional investment might not exist. After all, it was all based on a few words being exchanged on a screen, and as it is so easy to make arrangements, it is also just as easy to change them.

Commitment

If someone made a commitment in the past, there would have been a greater chance of them seeing it through. By not having a Smartphone and the social media apps that are used with it, it wouldn’t have been as easy for them to change their plans.

They may have been able to use a normal phone, but once something had been arranged they wouldn’t have been much they could do about it. The option would have been there for them to just not turn up; however, as it wasn’t as easy for them to let the other person know, they would have had a greater need to show up.

Emotional Pressure

On one side, there would have been how they would have felt and the thoughts going through their mind, and on the other, would have been a consideration of how their behaviour would influence the other person. They may have felt guilty, and this would have encouraged them to stick to the plan or to arrive on time, for instance.

When they thought about how their behaviour would affect the other person, there would have been two sides. Firstly, they may have thought about how the other person would feel if they didn’t show up or had to wait longer, and secondly, they might have thought about how their behaviour might have a negative impact on their relationship.

Flaky

It could be said that social media has given people choice, and that they can now change their mind without having to experience the same amount of pressure that they did in the past. This much is true; it is easier for someone to be more spontaneous and to go with how they feel.

But while this may allow someone to put their needs first and to feel better because of it, it can cause them to come across as flaky. And when this kind of behaviour occurs on a regular basis, it is going to have detrimental effect on someone’s relationships.

Conclusion

There are pros and cons to most things in life, and while there will be times in everyone’s life where they are late or unable to make it to something they had arranged, if this becomes a regular occurrence it will lead to problems down the line. They may find that their relationships gradually start to erode..