Our Value in Likes

The idea of likes on Facebook, favorites on Twitter, and double taps on Instagram has always interested me, a member of a society which places the value of a person on how many of these likes, favorites, and double taps s/he can get at the end of the day. Popularity is now attained by crossing the 100 likes threshold and by gaining excessively flattering comments: a public display of popularity and allure that all peers may see upon one click of their mouse. Personally I don't think that these words and clicks of affirmation are necessarily negative; they become detrimental to the mindset of our society when we begin to base our judgment of a person solely on his/her reputation on social media. Social media does not accurately portray the personality and the amiability of a person as social media is the accumulation of mere posts, posed pictures, statuses, and anonymity. In person is when you truly gain the trust, the love, and the respect of your peers through actions and genuine reactions rather than just a couple of "Tumblr-worthy" images of hipster decorations, arguably worthy of a couple hundred likes.

When we begin to label and think of people in likes, double taps, and favorites on all different forms of social media, we are essentially dehumanizing them and making them into digital forms on the Internet posted up for the sake of others to see and envy. To escape the digital footprint of a person on the Internet and discover more about him/her through personal interaction is to truly know a person beyond the facade that is often presented on the Internet.

#socialmedia