How social media changed me
Technology is a term that might be influential for human beings since the beginning of its development. The word itself, according to Britannica, is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the social environment. Technology has existed since the beginning of human life, from simple crafting tools until Artificial Intelligence or known as AI. In this era of technology, we cannot deny that social media also follows technology development throughout the years. They somehow attached because if we want to use social media, we should have technology that can run it, such as laptops, the internet, and smartphones. Technology has changed my personality in detailed aspects such as personal interest, emotional, and religious aspects thanks to social media.
This era of technology around us changed every aspect of human life. The statement above is an undeniable fact because if I have to ask every person worldwide, most of them were affected by their technology. I am also one of many people that changed by technology, mostly by social media. Social media as a product of technology really affect me. For example, I know basketball since my sixth year in elementary school. Meanwhile, every kid around me only knows about football or swimming. Thanks to social media and Playstation because of those two products, I was introduced to basketball games. It is only one of many examples of how social media and technology changed me.
Another example is that social media occasionally made me feel anxious because of its contents. The contents, especially on Instagram, sometimes made me feel anxious and envious because the people I follow are more skilled than me in terms of photography. Indeed it is not really necessary since everyone has their taste and style, but still, they somehow made me anxious in one way or another. Sometimes, I asked myself after I saw a photo posted by others like “how they do it?” or “what gear that they have?” and more unnecessary questions that made me not confident to share my photos on social media.
Social media also often made me question myself about my beliefs in religious aspects. There are lots of varieties of information that running back and forth through my feeds on social media. Some contents are informative, some contents are creative, and some contents are considered a hoax. Somehow, people's contents raise some doubt and debate around us as social media users, including religious topics that are highly sensitive. Religious issues shared on social media made several people who take information for granted intolerant to differences. It means that the posts that these people see made them validated their actions and feel like they and the ulama they admire were right. What I meant by intolerant and felt validated of their actions and behaviour is that if they found a group of people that opposes or argue on what they are believed in considered as wrong and often being cancelled by these intolerant people and sometimes these intolerant people called those whoever opposed them as kafir. This phenomenon made me question myself because, from what I have told, that kind of action is not reflecting Islam. Islam that I know is tolerant and full of love. But nowadays, I even doubt my religion because of the confusion between two opinions.
To sum up, we cannot avoid the fast-paced development of technology and social media. We have to accept that we live in this kind of society. Sometimes, I was very grateful because of what social media gives me. For example, it introduced me to basketball and photography. Still, I also feel that I do not want to live in this era because it quickly gives me anxiety because of others' envy and raises uncertainty and doubt within myself like I was split into half.