In this age, you’d easier find a literate adult who has never read or written, than one who doesn’t regularly use at least one social media medium. What began in the late 90s as a personal communication tool has morphed into a multifaceted medium with many innumerable functions, making it almost impossible to jettison.

Before now, the first generation social media platforms like Myspace and SixDegrees provided an instant messaging-centric digital space that bridged geographical distances between friends, family, lovers, and acquaintances. These early platforms were revolutionary in the way they allowed users to enjoy semblances of real-world social structures and laid the ground for the matured social community we have now.

While the core features of early social media remain integral, today’s platforms have expanded far beyond a medium fostering communication and connection. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter (now X), Instagram, and Snapchat have evolved into all-encompassing hubs for entertainment, information dissemination, self-expression and professional networking. 

Moreover, social media’s influence now extends into shaping cultural trends and fueling social activism and advocacy. Movements like #BlackLivesMatter, Nigeria’s #EndSars and the recent #RejectFinanceBill2024 in Kenya were a testament to its diverse functions and power to galvanise support, raise awareness, and mobilise action on a global scale. 

Like many technological inventions,  social media has brought more benefits than drawbacks. But when we zoom in on its primary function—fostering connections and strengthening relationships—how’s it really faring?

I got varied responses when I posed this question to netizens on X:

“I’m very introverted and find it hard to check up on people regularly,” said Michael Anika. “Social media—especially features like status updates, tweets, and streaks—allows me to keep in touch with my people and sometimes even sparks much-needed conversations.”

Emmanuel echoed a similar sentiment: “Social media obviously does keep things going while both parties are busy with daily living. It helps fill in the gaps when physical meet-ups aren’t possible. But of course, it still depends on the individuals involved.”

Precious, on the other hand,  noted differently: “I think beyond the instant messaging aspect, social media has just shown different aspects of the people I know. So it doesn’t really improve the relationship; it just shows a new side of it.”

Shamira: “Yes, I think it has improved my relationships with people. Having instant access to someone allows you to check in more, and message more. But at the same time, it can lessen intentionality. With social media, you can always wave off friends like ‘they’re there now.’ But when social media wasn’t around, you had to put in the effort by writing letters, posting them, and waiting for days before replies. So, it depends on the users.”

Further exploration of X revealed some more critical perspectives like Anna’s reflection a few months back “After much thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that social media damages relationships. I’ve realized I don’t reach out to friends nearly as often because I feel up to date from seeing their continuous posts. Having more access has cut the meaningful & intentional correspondence.”

Another user tweeted, “Relationships are harder now because conversations become texting, and feelings become status updates. Pre-social media era, feelings were profound. Post-social media era, feelings become transient and diluted.”

Amidst this clamour of opinions and reflections, one thing is clear enough: social media is increasingly struggling to foster the connections it was originally designed to maintain.  A conservative perspective might ascribe this to the intentionality of users, but I stand with Ellis Hamburger’s opinion that “The evolution of social media apps has brought them to a point where they can hardly be called “social” anymore—at least not in the way we once understood.’’

Marlon Twyman II, a quantitative social scientist at USC Annenberg, offered a nuanced perspective in an interview with Wired. “Social media today is less driven by actual social connection. It is powered by the appearance of social connection,” he said.

“Human relationships have suffered and their complexity has diminished. Because many of our interactions are now occurring in platforms designed to promote transactional interactions that provide feedback in the form of attention metrics, many people do not have much experience or practice interacting with people in settings where there are collective or communal goals for a larger group. This has also led to people being more image-conscious and identity-focused in real-world interactions, too,’’ Twyman concluded.

It’s not difficult to see. Yes, the occasional socialising still happens, but the social dynamics of the early days are eroding, and the richness and depth are increasingly sacrificed at the altar of this digital evolution. Likes, views, followers, subscribers, and the hosts of these engagements for revenue updates, are surely, eclipsing the nuanced complexities of real-life relationships.