As technology and communication continues to advance, communication is becoming easier every day with the development of social media. The days of having to call friends to catch up on their day's activities are long gone. Today, seeing your friends and family's latest picture, thought or even completely unnecessary complaint is simply a click away. Social media is a wonderful way to keep up with friends whether they live hundreds of miles away or you see them every day but it can easily get people in trouble.
Personally I have several social media accounts. Facebook has become simply a formality so that I continue to be "friends" with parents, family and grandparents. I most frequently use Twitter and Instagram. Twitter is a place that is typically uninhabited by parents so people tend to speak more freely and post some things that may otherwise be considered questionable. Instagram is strictly for photographs. Whether its the typical Starbucks coffee of the day for girls or, in my case, a football tailgate picture or the latest catch fresh from the river, Instagram is a way to share your life in pictures.
Some people seem to post more freely or without as much of a filter. Personally I'm not the type to jump on the internet and shoot off about my latest issues or arguments with people but that seems to be the norm with many social media users. As a more reserved and conservative person I tend to keep things off the internet and stick to sharing things that I think people would actually enjoy seeing. My Instagram and Twitter posts frequently include the latest bass, catfish or dove harvest and the most recent of tailgate party pictures. I feel like my profiles represent me very well because I stay true to my morals. I don't post anything that I wouldn't be comfortable saying directly to my grandmother. Being a young man that loves and respects his grandmother, my posts tend to stay pretty mild.
The use of social media has been both good and bad for Americans. It has been a great tool to help people reunite and keep up with people they care about but has also caused problems by giving people a place to openly express themselves but still giving them something to hide behind. With that said the internet and social media are like many other things, they should be respected. People should know that anything they say can and will be used for or against them and having it in writing on the internet can make them be very respected or ruin their reputation all together.
