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Facebook walls are flooding with status updates as the chirping of constant tweets occupy Twitter accounts, while the instant uploading of everything and anything to Instagram takes place. Social media trends have progressively become a part of daily activity, particularly among the younger generation.

While on the surface, social media activity seems harmless, perhaps the mere presence of simple status updates or photo uploads are changing the course of how relationships are formed and developed.

Favoring a phone call versus a text is certainly an old-fashioned, or dare I say it, ancient way of communication. Why pick up the phone and call a friend or loved one when you can just type a message on your smartphone or click a computer mouse to send the message?

How did the days of writing love letters and heartfelt gestures become replaced with photo “likes” and sexting?

The reality is rooted within the truth that communication is a vital part of life. However, are we truly living if communication with others revolves around technology rather than face-to-face conversation?

While Facebook and Instagram possess visually appealing features, what is truly more stimulating than witnessing real emotion?

A computer screen cannot convey the laughter of your mother or father.

A quick text does not allow your loved one to truly feel the compassion behind every “I miss you.” A photograph may say a thousand words, but it’s not the same as actually experiencing that moment.

While the inventions of FaceTime and Skype have helped improve partial adversity to being able to actually see a person talking to you, I feel as though it just adds another crutch to already poor communication.

Current societal values are based upon convenience, technological advancements and the overall desire to live life in the fastest and easiest way possible.

What some are neglecting to see is that social media has it perks, but also its faults in that it hinders relationships of all sorts.