Mashable Says Social Media is a Designer Drug

This seems accurate to me. But it also seems obvious. Most humans seek to self-actualize (whether or not they are successful is another topic), and social media gives us a place to explore ourselves and others. And, much like the structure of a haiku makes it easier to write poetry, being given the structure of Twitter’s 140 characters or a writing prompt a la Facebook’s “What’s on your mind?” makes it easier that ever to express ourselves, however stiltedly. Combined with the ever-present suggestion to share and the relative safety of remote expression, where you can control any adverse reactions to what you’ve put out there,  social media is a gilded invitation to express yourself.

Now, if only we could do that in person.

Social Media: The Newest Designer Drug