Are Social Media Relationships Skin Deep?

I have been pondering about the value of relationships lately. I have a very close knit family. I grew up as a kid where my mom would usually gather everyone at the dinner table for us to enjoy the meal specially prepared by her. We would laugh at how our youngest brother would clumsily put food in his mouth. Mom would ask us how we were doing at school and then dad would later advise us that we should study very well. We are pretty normal I think. However, as we became adults leading out own lives, change was inevitable. Busy schedules led us to fewer and fewer gatherings. My siblings and I are in our own family so we make it a point to keep in touch with mom and dad with the use of the Internet or our Smartphones. Even though we no longer live in the same house, I can still say that the love forged by our parents is still there. I took it upon myself to call my mom or dad at least once a week to keep in touch. I learned to make use of social media sites and encouraged them to do the same so that they could leave a message just in case I become too busy with work and forget to call. I have heard that relationships blossomed with the use of social media sites, although I doubt if this is real.

How Personal Are Relationships Online?

I must admit that if mom and dad were not my parents, I would have been lost growing up. I have seen some of my peers make use of social media sites as a tool to communicate with their families nowadays. I have noticed how wall posts seem to only display the nicest quotes. Is this an aim to attract a relationship online? When I see someone in distress, out of politeness, I would offer my support. However, if you were to ask me, there are some people in my social media accounts that I barely know. I cannot even remember some of the people claiming that we have attended the same school together. Are other social media users experiencing the same? Of course, I add my real friends online. These are people that I also see personally and get to have a good fun with, if my schedule allows me to do so. I cannot speak for other people, but for me, it would be difficult to get super cozy with a stranger just by meeting them through social media sites. I am on the community for fun and because I like some of the posts that I see. If you were to ask me, I would say that if you really wanted to have a relationship with a person, you should get to meet them first.

Where Do Entities Fit In?

I have read that business entities can create a relationship with their customers with the use of social media sites. I wonder how deep this relationship is. I certainly would not be able to compare this to that of the relationship I have with my family. However, if a business is able to make me feel really special, I must say that maybe I would not hesitate to buy their products or services. If they can touch me on a deeper level with their posts just like when an author is able to make me cry with his novel, then this business will get me hooked easily. I would want to meet whoever the owner of this business is or if not, I certainly will look forward to read their posts online. I think that social media sites are a great way to introduce yourself but not enough to sustain a relationship. You must go beyond mere talk and provide evidence that I can really trust you.

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