Social media allows people to curate idealized online personas that do not reflect their true selves, leading to social isolation despite being constantly connected. By focusing on cultivating online profiles, people sacrifice real face-to-face interactions and conversation. Excessive social media use and constant phone checking prevents people from fully engaging with present experiences and relationships, instead keeping them in their own "bubbles". This trend is making people unhappy and negatively impacting their relationships offline.

1. Social Media...
Is Not Social
By: Brett SykesPhoto Source: Flickr “Oblivious” Andrew Sutherland

2. Social media has allowed us to put on masks
and hold up shields. [12]
Photo Source: Pixabay “Leonidas statue” Gancheva

3. In real life, we look like
this. [9]
Photo Source: Flickr “cat” Selda Eigler

4. But, online we look like this. [9]
Photo Source: Flickr “Lion” Dulup

5. Focusing on cultivating our
online persona is a
crutch and the expense
is our real-life persona. [12]
Photo Source: Flickr “Lost to society ” Ricardo Liberato

6. 71% of Internet users are plugged into social media
[12] and we check our phones 150 times per day [9].
Photo Source: Flickr “Texting” M.o.B 68

7. We have sacrificed conversation for
connection. [7]
Photo Source: Flickr “Taxi!” Stefan Tarnell

8. 39% of Americans spend more time socializing
online, than face to face. [1]
Photo Source: Flickr “sb10063521a-001” Verkeorg

9. We expect more from technology and less
from each other. [7]
Photo Source: Flickr “Airplane” Cory Hatchel

10. 20% of Americans
prefer texting or
communicating
online to talking
face to face. [1]
Photo Source: Flickr “Hug” Petras Gagilas

11. Social networks are creating the illusion of
companionship without the demands of
friendship. [7]
Photo Source: Flickr “Texting” Kreg Steppe

12. 33% of Americans are more likely
to speak to someone new
online than in person. [1]
Photo Source: Flickr “American Flag” Michael Dorausch

13. People who use social networking sites are
prone to social isolation. [6]
Photo Source: Flickr “Isolation” Mtrappitt

14. We are together, but each of us is in our own
bubble. [11]
Photo Source: Flickr “Bubbles” Jeff Kubina

15. Right now we are too connected to people
and it’s only making us unhappy. [3]
Photo Source: Flickr “Dwindling Flames - 20151001_074618” L. Eaton

16. An experiment found that Facebook could cause
problems in relationships by increasing feelings
of jealousy and envy. [5]
Photo Source: Flickr “Couple” Wyatt Fisher

17. We live in a time of multi-communicating,
where no one person gets personal attention for
long. [4]
Photo Source: Flickr “Birds” likeaduck

18. Even selfies are
interrupting
experiences to
mark the moment.[10]
Photo Source: Flickr “Selfie Stick” Ravi

19. Being alone feels like
a problem that
needs to be solved,
so people solve it by
connecting. [7]
Photo Source: Flickr “For my math girl” Craig Dugas

20. People in the U.S. check their Facebook, Twitter,
and other social media accounts a staggering
17 times a day. [2]
Photo Source: Flickr “Texting in Nyc” Michele Ursino

21. We are getting used to a way of being alone
together. [11]
Photo Source: Flickr “Communication Breakdown” Matteo Bagnoli

22. We would all live better if
we had hands to hold
rather than keys to click. [8]
Photo Source: Flickr “Holding Hands” Quinn Dombrowski

23. Bibliography
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Chang, Lulu. "Americans Spend an Alarming Amount of Time Checking Social Media on Their Phones." Digital Trends. N.p., 13 June 2015. Web. 05 June
2016. [2]
Chayka, Kyle. "The New, Improved Online Friendship." Next. N.p., 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 05 June 2016. [3]
Eichler, Leah. "Sorry to Be Rude, but My Smartphone Needs My Attention." The Globe and Mail. N.p., 04 Oct. 2013. Web. 05 June 2016. [4]
KKonnikova, Maria. "How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy." The New Yorker. N.p., 10 Sept. 2013. Web. 05 June 2016. [5]
"Social Networking ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., 25 May 2016. Web. 05 June 2016. [6]
TEDtalksDirector. "Sherry Turkle: Connected, but Alone?" YouTube. YouTube, 03 Apr. 2012. Web. 05 June 2016. [7]
TEDxTalks. "How Social Media Makes Us Unsocial | Allison Graham | TEDxSMU." YouTube. YouTube, 10 Nov. 2014. Web. 05 June 2016. [8]
TEDxTalks. "How Social Media Makes Us Unsocial | Allison Graham | TEDxSMU." YouTube. YouTube, 10 Nov. 2014. Web. 05 June 2016. [9]
TTurkle, Sherry. "The Documented Life." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Dec. 2013. Web. 05 June 2016. [10]
Turkle, Sherry. "The Flight From Conversation." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 05 June 2016. [11]
White, Thomas. "Why Social Media Isn't Social." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 Nov. 2013. Web. 05 June 2016. [12]