The Social Media Fishbowl

Social Media Fishbowl

By Keith Kareem Williams

Once upon a time, we fought fiercely for our right to privacy. Then, they gave us all phones that keep getting smarter, equipped with cameras along with the ability to record and ironically, we put ourselves in the fish bowl. Almost every aspect of our lives is on display because we voluntarily share EVERYTHING; sometimes carelessly and more often than not, recklessly. The shameless pursuit of “likes,” “views” and followers encourages us to invite strangers into the most intimate type of show; the kind that we would have shuddered to be forced to showcase just one generation ago.

The beauty of social media is how connected we all are because of it. We don’t have to lose touch with family that we only see for the holidays or friends that have moved away. It feels like we are all neighbors and in a way, I suppose we are.

The tragedy of social media is the way we often treat our most important relationships dismissively as if they are all disposable. An argument in the morning between two people that genuinely love each other becomes a tweet, or status update and by the evening, a three ring circus with the entire world sitting in the stands, giving their opinions and eating popcorn giddily as two people do their best to hurt each other. It’s hard to “kiss & make up” when 15,000 followers are encouraging you to “fight & break up.”

There are many aspects of my personal life that I share on a daily basis but there will always be things that I keep as far away from the social media sphere as I can. All disagreements, fights and conflict between my woman and I will always be hidden from the public eye. No one will ever see subliminal shots being fired back and forth between us in the form of copied quotes or hypothetical questions. I speak of my children often but not every detail about them is meant for the rest of the world. Trust me, I’m in the social media fishbowl just like almost everyone else but, I’m that fish that sometimes remains hidden in the ruins of the algae-covered ruined castle or the air bubble-spewing sunken ship.

Social media is fun, informative and entertaining but, I still believe that it’s important to protect parts of your privacy, for your own sake, your happiness and your peace of mind. If you give everyone everything about you, what’s left for the people close to you, holding your hand through life?