Social media platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp were a big part of my childhood because it was how my parents stayed close to their families and friends in Lebanon. I remember seeing my mom chatting away on the computer (before she had a phone that could do all that “tech stuff,” as she puts it) and telling her sisters how life was in Canada. Because our trips to my parents’ home country were rare due to the cost, they relied on social media to keep in contact with their loved ones.
Nowadays, I hear my mom on the phone with her three sisters every morning, catching up on life events, how my cousins are doing, and whether they need us to send them anything from Canada that they don’t have in Lebanon because we heard that a friend’s brother-in-law was going for a visit (most of the time, the answer to that question includes peanut butter). It helped our whole family feel more connected than ever, despite being thousands of miles apart. As the daughter of immigrants, it’s almost essential to maintain that connection to your “homeland.”
Social media has helped millions of people stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic as well. When the world was turned upside down by social distancing rules and limits on social gatherings, social media came to the rescue to keep people connected. According to an article written by Natalie Bazarova, Ph.D., for Psychology Today, social media “can give people a sense of normalcy […] by helping them to stay connected with one another even when being physically isolated.” During the pandemic, social media was key for me and my friends because we had to go from seeing each other twice a week to not at all, for almost a year. So, we created online game nights, where we would all connect to an online game site, have a “wine of the night,” and set up a video call at the same time! With another of my friends, we would have video calls once or twice a week and talk about what new hobby we picked up that week (FYI, we picked up a LOT of new hobbies). On a sadder side of things, video calling on Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger allowed me and my family to say our final goodbyes to both my grandmothers, who we couldn’t see due to, in one case, COVID-19 restrictions, and in the other case, distance. Having that option to say our goodbyes was one of the best things we could have had during such a difficult time, and I will forever be grateful for it.
I also find social media extremely useful in keeping in touch with friends I have made during trips around the world, or exchange students in university. For example, because of Whatsapp, I have kept in touch with an amazing Spanish friend, who I’ve only seen once since her departure in 2015, as well as all my family members still living in Lebanon. I also found out I had cousins living in Australia because of social media!
In another article, this time written by Anna Noel Taylor for Paramount Insights, Anna writes that “social media addresses many of our core human needs.” In this case, those needs include social interaction! As someone with many connections, not just in Canada but around the globe, social media has enabled me to continue my social life without always leaving the comfort of my own home. Not to mention, I also met my hubby-to-be on a dating app (yes, they actually work – thanks Tinder)!
All this to say, I’m so beyond thankful for social media tools because they allow me to keep in touch with people I really care about, and helps me meet new people.
How has social media helped you connect with others? Do you have a similar experience with social media?
Facebook: Curious to know how social media can impact your social life, and how it has impacted mine? In my new blog post, I talk about the moments social media has helped me connect with those I care about when physical connection isn’t possible: https://algonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com/?p=128466
Twitter: How can #socialmedia impact your #sociallife and #connections? You can find out how it affected mine in my newest #blog : https://algonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com/?p=128466
SOURCES:
Bazarova, N. (n.d.). Staying connected via social media in the age of covid-19. Psychology Today. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-media-stories/202003/staying-connected-social-media-in-the-age-covid-19
Taylor, A. N. (2018, April 26). Around the world, social media is a source of connection, creativity and Empowerment. Paramount Insights. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://insights.paramount.com/post/around-the-world-social-media-is-a-source-of-connection-creativity-and-empowerment/
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
Based on your personal experience, you have portraited very well how different social media channels have impacted your life. The benefits of using Facebook, WhatsApp and Tinder definitely have allowed you to be in touch with your family and friends, and also have helped you to find and build more relationships, specially during the Covid-19 times.
By reading about the importance of the social media universe in blogs like yours should help those that are not convinced to explore more and take advantage of these social media tools. Either to keep ourselves connected with our loves ones or to avoid isolation, social media is here to stay in our lives in one way or another.
Being a military spouse I can relate to your story. My husband is often in another country, and I believe social media plays a huge role in how we are handling things. I also rely on social media to make connections and like you, keep the one I already have alive and healthy!
I can relate to your story because I immigrated to Canada myself. Social media became the only way to contact my parents and relatives. Although home country is thousands miles away, the social media makes the distance shorter. It is definitely one of beautiful things about social media!