Beautifully written post! Your writing kept me engaged throughout.

Mark Twain — 'Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.'

There are many many merits to social media. Among other things, it's a boon for introverts and differently abled humans who cannot socialize regularly. I have a friend who was paralyzed waist down and on a wheel chair ever since she was 13. Her parents (she's not married for obvious reasons) were there for her, her entire life. They have done everything possible to keep her active. But now her father passed on and she has turned to social media sites. She has many friends and she loves being with them, albeit virtually.

For my friend and many others, social media offers 'hope.' Hope that was non-existent before Facebook, before Twitter...

The exposure social media offers is immense. It helps us reconnect with our childhood friends, teachers, long-lost relatives and we have all seen sons and daughters reunited with their parents. We have seen lost children get back with their parents.

School children from remote places now learn various skills using social media sites. I can learn English using Skype. You can join knitting classes on Facebook. We can all earn loads of money from SteamIt. :)

Yes, social media eats into our time but isn't it our own doing? Social media is the creation of man and it is up to us to use it responsibly.

BTW, @Sirwinchester, I'm a blackhatter and joined SteamIt after seeing your post there. Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful community.