Social media has become massively ingrained into our society. So much so that, I would argue, it has taken on its own form, its own existence, and functions similarly to how language has functioned in society.
Claude Levi-Strauss, a twentieth century anthropologist, when discussing writing has asserted that writing was not the catalyst to change, but it was a tool used by ruling classes to subjugate the lower classes. Which is why, once more people began to read, writing evolved in such a way that has enabled ruling classes to continue to rule. Social media is an extension of that evolution.
In what some theorize as too much information, social media has created its own ground, sociologically and linguistically. There has been the formation of texting slang (LOL, LMAO, ROFL for example) as a matter of linguistic creation.
As a sociological environment, there are features within social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, to show posts to people who agree with particular views. Essentially, there are communities of people grouped together through means of common beliefs on Facebook and Instagram. If you have an account on either of these sites, it is inescapable.
Because of this reason, when Facebook and Instagram went down on Oct. 4, many people were left confused and partially abandoned. The reliance on social media as a form of language has influenced how we interact and view the world. Just as writing was an invention, social media is that next step in invention, where mass groups of people are able to form communities online. If these communities become disrupted, there is a sense of hurt.
Social media, then, has become necessary and we rely on its existence, now, to do work, socialize and express ourselves. The crash, however, has shown how fragile this newfound language truly is, and how necessary it is to people. I even found myself wondering what to do when Facebook and Instagram went down, luckily I had Twitter.
