Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, now VSCO..even Facebook. All these different tools of social media have come to our utilization, in some point in time and surprisingly they've even become the source of breath to our social life..well for most of us, and who knows how we'd live without it. Just ask yourself..what would life be without Social media?..It would be very different indeed..let's just think about this for a second.. we have to acknowledge the fact that as time passes.. technology advances, and as technology advances..people change, and as people change so does social media, so maybe social media is part of us. Social Media has not only become one of the essential tools to life in today's world, but its become part of our everyday life, and without it, one could be a lost needle in a haystack. But when we come to the topic of social media we have to remind ourselves that even though social media maybe addicting, or distracting, positively it has changed the course of time and influenced society greatly.
Let's take a close look at some examples..It was once difficult for one to get a mate, but today all things have been made elementary, dwindled to the liking of man, that one can find someone so easily without the struggle of going out to look for them  or having the trouble of searching for someone just in the place they live but thanks to social media, today someone in the U.S can find someone in any corner of the world..back in the day remember when we were practicing in the mirror before asking our beloved out, and then having the nervous walk to their door ready to take them out on the awkward first date, and as ladies remember when you were anxiously sitting by the phone waiting for the long-awaited request for a date..well in that point in time the power of social skills and communication was very important, especially when searching  for the love you knew was awaiting you somewhere but today getting a date and breaking up with someone is as effortless as a click of a mouse.

We've also seen social media play a vital role in the popular vote of political candidates, running for the president of the United States. As candidates are analyzed debate after debate and constantly viewed by the public eye during their campaigns, we have seen many candidates use social media to spread their thoughts on different political matters and what they believe in for the betterment of the United States..but they also use social media to  display their advertisements to the people. You'd be surprised to know that based on a recent political article by the Huffington Post, it is said that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the quality of information about the candidates and issues on social media was about the same or even far better than the from traditional media, and approximately 40 percent participated in a political discussion with others on social media and an overall, 29 percent said social media was moderately to extremely influential in their opinions of the candidates and issues.
Social Media has also been a blessing to many people in need and in difficult situations all around the world. How?..Well..No man can truly prepare for the upcoming calamity of a natural disaster, but sometimes these things happen and sadly its not in control of man. When the Haiti earthquake struck on January 12, 2010 over 230,00 people died, 300,000 were injured and 1.5 million people were displaced. But thanks to social media, the news of the incident was stretched across all the different corners of the world, as devastated and heartbroken families took immediate action. Many used text to donate as their way of sending their little form of help to those who were in need, they also used social media to raise awareness for the crippled country, and at the end of the day Haiti received 396.1 million dollars in donations from the U.S alone..the power of social media.

Social Media has also become a very important important tool of success, in the life of celebrities, singers, songwriters , actors, comedians or anybody in the entertainment business..How you'd say? well they use social media to advertise or self promote themselves. They may even use their social media accounts to inform their followers on maybe their new upcoming tour, song, show or even a new project they might be working on. Entertainers use social media to constantly inform their fans, and without it today who know how fans would know what their stars were doing, we have to all acknowledge the fact that all celebrities and entertainers of today are brand names and with all their popularity they need to maintain a constant update on what they're doing to keep fans updated and satisfied, according to an article by Huffington Post you wouldn't believe that sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Tumblr are penning deals with big celebrities, which involve marketing behaviors into their accounts to keep users interested and engaged...unbelievable.

But even with all the great things social media has done for society making us feel more connected to a larger community we have to realize that even the significance of this commodity has its inconvenience...or better said downside.

Social Media today, has also been linked to bullying all around the world..where children, students, and kids of all ages are judged and criticized by online predators who specifically inhibit their
time in making the life of people worse, for what reason who knows..the horror of these online attacks can leave mental scars, and recent studies show that bullying causes psychological, emotional and
physical stress which is a heavy burden for any child to bear.. Now listen to this..according to a search I did on bullying through google 70% of  students report seeing frequent bullying online, 81% of students believe its easier to get away than bullying in person and 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online and the scariest thing is only 1 in 10 victims will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse. And cyberbullying victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide. Is this what social media is all about..Is this what is made for.I don't think so..

Social Media has also has also played a large role in violent extremism all around the world., today we've seen many muslim extremists take their faith, anger and confusion to a different level carelessly taking the lives of many people all around the world. We do everything in power to try to stop them and put an end to violence, but Extremists have today used one of society's most powerful tool, Social media to recruit, influence, and impact the youth and infest those who are vulnerable for their cause, that even a beautiful city like Paris has become its victim.  Based on a recent article by journalistresource.org  it is said that at least 46,000 Twitter accounts run by supporters of the Islamic State and with us being influenced by social media everyday we never know what might hapen tomorrow.

Social Media is a sown seed in the world we live in today, and with us using it everyday..watering it, its only going to grow. And its positivity or negativity is only determined by the perception of how we look at the flower at the end..