There are those who view social networking apps as a helpful tool that unites nations, although others argue that people have become more distant. In my opinion, the internet is one of the greatest human inventions, which facilitate global connectivity.
The advancement of technology has brought a sea of opportunities for international communication. By using social media, it is now possible to stay in touch with people from any part of the globe. Not only can we send and receive messages within seconds, but also interact in real time. Apps, such as Discord, allow people to make audio- or videocalls, without significant latency. Having downloaded similar apps, people are able to both keep their current relationships going and build new ones, no matter the distance. I personally find it crucial in our globalized world, where intercultural communication is inevitable.
In contrast, the popularity of social media have also caused some of us to face isolation. It is mainly explained by the working principle of content algorithms. They are designed to learn on human preferences and predict behavior. For example, clicking the “like” button under a reel on Instagram will make your feed page filled with more videos of the same kind, the machine thinks you might be interested in. This often leads to addictive doomscrolling, which kills the desire in some people to interact with the real world. While this downside is undeniable, I think, there are still no good alternatives which can do the same job of connecting people worldwide.
To sum up, I see a great potential in social media to keep us closer together as an ultimate solution to long distance relationships, rather than a destructive addiction.