The Etiquette of Social Media or lack there of in The Age of The Cult of The Individual

Yes as bloggers we all love social media, or at least we spend a lot of time using it and interacting with other avid social media users, but when is it too much? When do you put the phone down and actually live life? And what about the etiquette of social media? I live in New York, which is a crowded fast paced city where everyone is often in a rush. Many people in New York have busy lives and long commutes and we are dependent upon public transportation, so getting from point A to point B quickly is key. So the last thing you want to deal with is a slow walking, absent minded person with their head down, who is going to be in your way. And the reason they are walking slow with their heads down? No, they are not the walking dead victims of the zombie apocalypse, they are just clueless smart phone users.

the last thing you want to deal with is a slow walking, absent minded person with their head down, who is going to be in your way

I am sure you have seen them, walking headlong in to a crowd and not watching where they are going. News flash, it is not my job to watch where you are going, that is your job. What is so important that you can’t walk a few yards without looking at your phone? Or is it that as a society we can not go ten minutes without being entertained. If the zombie apocalypse were to hit, these folks would be the first to be eaten hands down. I friend of mine confided to me that she intentionally bumps in to these people on purpose. And I must admit I have done this myself from time to time. But at least the worst that can happen is that you trip over yourself. But behind the wheel of car? That is whole different matter.

We all know social media has a dark side but it now has a dangerous side as well. This week it was all over the news that Snap Chat is being sued by a victim of a car accident in which this person suffered brain damage and is permanently disabled. The accident was caused by an eighteen year old women who was using Snapchat’s speed filter while she was driving. She was driving with a pregnant coworker in the car and was trying to reach 100 miles per hour so she could post to Snapchat. Um OK I am not sure who the Einstein was that thought the speed filter for a phone app was a good idea, but suffice is to say Snapchat is going to have their day in court.

 it is because of things like this that the generation under thirty are seen as the most self absorbed, self involved, entitled generation ever

This young women then had the gaul to take another selfie in the ambulance with the hashtag “lucky to be alive”. Hmm, how about the hashtag “wakeup you self involved moron.” I think this young woman needs to be held accountable for what she caused, and not just be given a slap on the wrist. I think she needs to do jail time. What kind of young people are we raising? And it is because of things like this that the generation under thirty are seen as the most self absorbed, self involved, entitled generation ever. But are they? Is it them, or the avid availability of social media?

I think the laws around driving and using smart phones and social media need to much more strict—I think they should be just as strict as the laws governing drunk driving. And perhaps this will be the wake up call we need as a society to get out of our own way and realize that maybe, just maybe, there is a world out there that does not revolve around ourselves.

Top image was not taken by the young women while she was driving and this image is NOT a selfie. If you live in the San Diego area in California and need a wedding or lifestyle photographer be sure to check out RececcaMPhotography.com 

XOXO