Social media, in all its forms, has become a major aspect of the daily lives of teenagers and young people alike. They are surrounded by notifications, news stories, and profiles of people we know as friends and acquaintances. Whether you're an avid follower of social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, or someone who merely owns a smart phone, you are affected by the never-ending pings of new technological advances. Because social media is such a new achievement by society, it is exciting to us as humans, who constantly desire interaction. Although social media is a big part of human life, it its effects are ultimately harmful to a fundamental human identity. To discover our true identities, we must dig deep within ourselves and find a meaningful purpose to stand for. In order to do this we must look at what the real purpose and significance of social media is, who we are on screen versus in real life, and how social media is changing our existential identities individually, and as communities. In a sense, the world is constantly being affected by this overwhelming problem. The fact that information can travel thousands of miles across the world and even from space is frightening to think about. Our personal information is always up for judgment and the Internet may be getting smarter than humans. If social media has already directly affected the social relationships people hold, it has definitely affected the way we view our identity and lives. .
Social media, in today's environment can come in many different forms. It can be a platform to share and sell business, a place for blogs and journals, or to share personal content. Consumerism is at an all time high thanks to the platforms media allows. According to Kietzmann, in her article on the building blocks of social media, she states that social media "uses seven functional building blocks: identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, and groups.
