Unraveling the Mystery of Creativity: Beyond Logic & Imagination - Essay Sample

Introduction

Creativity is an ambiguous term to define. The word creativity can have a variety of denotations, but in its core, creativity speaks of acts of making something unique, innovative, or original through the usage of imagination. The term creativity is often regarded as being the reverse of disciplines or functions that require governed fact or logic (Sahgal, Anoop). This is necessarily not true, yeah, of course. Nevertheless, it is commonly believed that artistic turfs require creativity, whereas scientific arenas do not. A lot of people time and again think that creativity is a human-made phenomenon, messy, and unpredictable while a tangible set of rules destines machinery, science, and mathematics (Sahgal, Anoop). Hence, this has led to some individuals sharing in the fear that our society's intensified dependence on technology is limiting our present and future creativity. The use of social media has been spoken of as a breaker of interpersonal communication, reducer of listening ability, thus resulting in poor conflict management, and a destroyer of creativity. It has also been blamed for increased depression and anxiety due to standards set online. However, research has proven that social media, if used guided by critical thinking through the ethical judgment criteria, can have more benefits than harm.

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In a world of fast-developing technology, social interactions have also been affected both positively and negatively. Interpersonal communication, conflict management, and listening in relationships have changed with the global connection brought by the use of social media. Friendships, romantic relationships, and family relationships have all been affected in both ways by the use of social media. Social media platforms that are commonly used in the United States include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and Twitter. According to a survey by Pew Research Center, social media usage has remained relatively the same, with only Instagram and Snapchat recording increased usage among the youth (Perrin 15) the older generation still dominates Facebook and Twitter usage. YouTube has also recorded an increase of video blogging. Social media have mostly been thought of as a destroyer of interpersonal relations and creativity, but research has proven that it also has benefits.

Social Media and Family Relations

Social media has had its pros and cons in interpersonal communication, listening, and conflict management at the family level. The ability to remain anonymous motivates the youth to open up more. Privacy settings also allow them to restrict who sees their posts. Taking an example of Facebook, friend requests are reviewed by the user (Anderson & Jiang 18). They can choose whose requests to accept or delete. Teenagers are more reluctant accepting their parents' friend requests since they are more open on Facebook as compared to a one on one basis. The fact that they can voice their opinions and get advice without exposing their identity encourages teenagers to talk about their feelings freely. The sharing has been associated with decreased stress and depression levels.

Family members have also confessed to finding it more accessible to express their feelings in texts than speaking. This is mainly for men since intimacy for them is not in the form of words. Although the expression of intimacy for them has changed, it is still built by sharing activities. Social media has enabled men to speak out their emotions more since doing on face to face basis is hard. The continued texting also keeps family members updated on where and what the rest are doing, especially between mothers and daughters. The constant also shortens the distance when family members are separated.

However, social media has reduced listening among family members. At family gatherings, people are so engrossed in their phones that they have more connected with others who are farther than those who are seated on the same table (Dunbar 26). Conflict management has also become less efficient since family members are not willing to listen and learn. It is an era whereby disputes are posted online for the world to see, yet the family cannot sit and talk. The members run to social media to seek opinions and advice instead of talking to their nuclear family. This has led to increased cases of depression, whereas the family is unaware that one of them is going through a challenge.

Social Media and Romantic Relationships

The excessive use of social media has broken and built relationships. It is no longer a surprise to find people dating online. Social media has condensed the world into a global village where connections link all parts of the world. Interpersonal communication is essential in making romantic relationships successful. Constant communication also increases talk time, which is a critical aspect of building trust that encourages self-disclosure. Research has shown that couples that are in constant communication throughout the day have higher levels of self-disclosure, thus intimacy. Self-disclosure improves conflict management since it is a way of understanding the source of a partner's attitudes, fears, strengths, and weaknesses (Dunbar 28). However, dealing with the expected body and fashion trends is not easy, and can lead to depression. Body shaming is a common occurrence on social media, which shatters the confidence of those who do not meet "perfect body" goals. Celebrities are considered the icons of what is right or wrong, and trying too hard to be like them often pushes people to live a fake lifestyle for the internet. Individuals who are susceptible to social pressure may engage in extreme and healthy diets to look like a certain model or celebrity. Such severe cases need guidance and counseling on how to feel comfortable in their skin and living within their levels without considering what others think of them.

Online partners who have not met physically in relationships have also increased due to social media. The ability to keep the communication going despite the distance has encouraged more online interaction. However, the bond and commitment cannot be equalized to physical communication since most relationships that originate from social media are associated with peer pressure. The youth, with females leading, have confessed that building a relationship online increased their acceptance among their peer group and boosted their esteem (Barker 9). Online meet-ups and blind dates are very dangerous and have resulted in people getting killed or kidnapped. Before meeting a stranger, it is essential to take time to study and understand them or be accompanied by an adult when meeting them.

Social Media and Creativity

Social media have enhanced creativity. Technology would be blamed for demeaning creativity, but social media has a different effect. Taking an example of YouTube, where online content creators showcase their creativity, vloggers (people posting videos on personal life) also have a platform to air their content, which makes them devise more means to generate content for their channels. To stay relevant and beat competitors, they have to maintain a high creativity level. However, the pressure may also result in the vloggers faking a lifestyle, which leads to debt and depression.

Conclusion

All in all, creativity is still a term difficult to define. The word creativity can have a variety of denotations, but in its core, creativity speaks of acts of making something unique, innovative, or original through the usage of imagination. The use of social media has been expressed as a breaker of interpersonal communication, reducer of listening ability, thus resulting in poor conflict management and a destroyer of creativity. It has also been blamed for increased depression and anxiety due to standards set online. A lot of people time and again think that creativity is a human-made phenomenon, messy, and unpredictable while a tangible set of rules destines machinery, science, and mathematics. However, research has proven that social media, if used guided by critical thinking through the ethical judgment criteria, can have more benefits than harm. Social media has created stronger human interactions in cases where it is utilized well. All relationships are based on sacrifice, understanding, and commitment. Knowing how to live a day at a time and not succumbing to anxiety is vital for social media to be beneficial. Intimacy, social skills, conflict and stress management, and a feeling of security and confidence in an individual's body are cultivated by kindness. Although social media has been accused of breaking interpersonal interactions, it is a great tool to introduce new ideas, connections, and build intimacy through constant communication.

Works Cited

Anderson, Monica, and Jingjing Jiang. "Teens, social media & technology 2018." Pew Research Center 31 (2018): 2018. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Barker, Valerie. "Older adolescents' motivations for social network site use: The influence of gender, group identity, and collective self-esteem." Cyberpsychology & behavior 12.2 (2009): 209-213. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24144687_Older_Adolescents'_Motivations_for_Social_Network_Site_Use_The_Influence_of_Gender_Group_Identity_and_Collective_Self-Esteem

Dunbar, Robin IM. "Do online social media cut through the constraints that limit the size of offline social networks?." Royal Society Open Science 3.1 (2016): 150292. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.150292

Perrin, Andrew. "Social media usage." Pew research center (2015): 52-68. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

Sahgal, Anoop. "Is Technology Killing Creativity?." Digital Marketing Insights, Expertise and Inspiration - for and by Marketing Leaders, 1 Dec. 2011, https://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2011/12/1/is-technology-killing-creativity.html#gs.ixqm3s.