Social networking?

Social networking, probably the biggest part of the modern society. These days everything happens on the Internet, like the saying goes, "I'm cooler online...". Hmm yes it does see so today. I think not many people realize what a big this forms of our day to day lives.

Even if I look at myself, I am a bit of a social networking whore (if that is a real term). I have Facebook , Instagram, twitter and Pinterest accounts. I use whatsapp and of last week I am also using blackberry messenger again, and obviously I have my blog as well. And yes, like most people I check them all everyday, updating my Facebook status, sharing photos on Instagram, tweeting random ideas, and pining interesting things. My main question is, why? Why does society have such a big need to share our random ideas to let's be honest to people who actually don't care about our thoughts. 

I think it's that we look for a type of approval that we don't find in our normal day to day lives, we can share ideas and preferences that do not come in day to day conversations. Even I do this, I know. I share so many of my true likes and desires that many people do not know, even when there is no anonymity. It is almost as if we feel safer online, that there is less of a chance that we would be judged on our thoughts.

But this also creates a problem. When we first meet someone, and you share some form of general interest, we don't talk about this among each other anymore, you rather go on Facebook and check what this person is all about, we see what they like, don't like, which religion they follow, where they have been and where they want to go. 

Being of the older generation, if you can call it that, I can remember the days before social networking, where the only ways to communicate with someone when they are not with you, is to pick up a phone and call them, or send an SMS. Social networking has taken away some of the personal aspect of our lives, and we should be the poorer for it, but we're not. Strange hey?

In our lives we can see what a powerful tool social networking has become. From politicians to billion dollar companies, they all have some form of a social networking account, passing along news and views. It has come to the point where we now need laws to regulate these networks, to keep us in line so to speak, oh cyber bullies your time is coming to an end.

I personally don't know anyone that is not guilty of being addicted to one of the many networks, we all do it, and we all enjoy it. So maybe the critique coming from the even older generation is unneeded, it can't be that bad, or can it?