"Honey, why do you spend so much time on those silly social media websites? They're just a waste of time!" My mother was attempting to get me to close my laptop and clean my room.
Recently it has become apparent that society thinks that my generation has been ruined by social media. But what exactly is social media? I see it as a world of its own, full of beautiful artwork and ideas, vibrant in diversity and imagination. A place where everything is questioned, nothing is certain and no one stops moving. Each person experiences it differently and shapes it to their own needs, becoming sort of a safe haven for them.
Some say that sites like Tumblr and Twitter are pulling our focus away from more important things like school. But to be honest, I have learned just as much from four years of Tumblr, as I have from 12 years of school. At school, I have learned about osmosis, how to differentiate equations, and how to punctuate quotes. Online, on that deep blue dashboard, I have learned about how to interact, how to consider my every action, and how not to. I have learned that friendship is stronger than any ocean, any race, culture or religion.
The Internet is becoming one of the most powerful communities in the world. If we put our minds to it, we really can make global change. It empowers young people who feel they don't have a voice to stand up and speak out. You may only see my eyes glued to my bright screen, but what you don't see is the swarm of ideas and connections happening in my brain, or the thousands of people that I am collaborating with. So while some may think that my generation has been ruined by technology, I think that we would be nowhere without it today.
They see a waste of time, a waste of money, a waste of energy. But I see friendship. I see love and knowledge. I see revolution. I see freedom. I see power. I see hope.