By Anna Corbett-Neal, Co-Editor-In-Chief
There are a lot of opinions about social media and the effects it has on the brains of its users, but I feel we often don't see the benefit of these apps and their potential to inspire new relationships.
I have found myself to be a doom scroller on most platforms, X, formerly known as Twitter, being my most used as of recent. I have been told by many people that X is a cesspool of negative personalities and dangerous media, which I don’t entirely disagree with. But there is so much more to be found on this app despite its controversy.
When you hear of X, it is often in reference to a wild tweet sent out that has circulated enough to be deemed “iconic.” Whether that is a negative or positive connotation I will leave up to you to decide.
Despite the issues X has, I have found a brighter side to the platform that has allowed me to connect with people across the country and around the world who share with me one common interest: hockey, of course.
I joined Twitter as a way to be more informed on player stats and to access an endless stream of hockey entertainment provided by a few faceless people.
Over the past few months, I had been in contact with a few people in this community, connected by our proximity and our plans to attend the same Blues vs. Sharks NHL game in St. Louis.
I posted on Christmas that I had received tickets for the game, as any excited fan would, and ended up receiving a direct message from a mutual friend on the app named Maggie, who I had briefly interacted with previously through comments. She had mentioned she was also attending the game. This text sparked a conversation where we discovered that we lived about three hours away from each other and shared a lot of things in common.
Meeting people from the internet is not the safest idea, but this was a time I felt comfortable doing so. Maggie and I had planned to meet at the stadium, specifically by the glass during warm-ups, to watch our favorite players up close.
When meeting people, whether they are online friends or otherwise, I always recommend a public setting, having someone with you, and knowing where you are.
While upholding these safety habits, I had the chance to create a new friendship that I had never thought possible. Finding a community you feel comfortable in can change the way you see the world.
It can also create friendships that you never thought to be possible. Maggie and I have remained friends since this meeting and interact often, even more now that we have bonded over our love for the San Jose Sharks.
Social media, when used correctly, can create community, and that is exactly what I have found.
PHOTO: Anna Corbett-Neal, Co-Editor-In-Chief
