Social media is a relatively new thing in society. Facebook came out when I was in high school and so the people that first started using the application were all young, immature individuals. It started as a “hot or not” interface that Mark Zuckerberg programmed at Harvard and, at the end of the day, I think that’s what Facebook and Instagram still is to many people. It’s difficult to out-morph the original purpose of an application.

However, as the people using social media begin to age, I predict that we will see changes in how society utilize the apps. As the maturity level of its users grow, so too will its content. Thus, social media can be seen as a tool–it’s really about how you use it that determine whether or not it’s a success for you. At the end of the day, its purpose may not be just to get as many followers as you can, but rather just a means to communicate with your community at large. Being famous in the celebrity sense is not necessarily a great thing. It makes you vulnerable to be in the public eye.

People in positions of power should utilize social media to set both an example and precedent for the generations ahead. This includes leaders within different major fields. Social media is a great way to project your voice and opinion in a public form. All in all, it’s really about how you use it that determines its functional utility.

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