Technology has advanced in astounding ways. We have a whole world of information in our pockets at all times and geolocation services that make it really hard to get lost. We see individually-targeted advertisements based on our searches, have enough storage space for up to 32,000 songs, dual-cameras with auto and manual settings, calculators, tip calculators, GPA calculators, I mean I could go on forever (there's an app for everything). And perhaps the most "controversial" use of technology, social media.

It's no surprise that as of 2013, nearly 100% of Americans ages 18-29 use social media (http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketin...). The rest of the age groups' usage continues to grow, specifically the 65+ group, however, millennials remain the largest. Social media is used for an abundance of things, and while I recognize that there are ways upon ways for media to be negatively used, there is also countless positives.

There is a time and a place to "put down the phone and be social," but what's really great about phones today, is that they provide numerous outlets to be just that. Through apps like Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, we are able to communicate with our friends, as well as find other people in the world with similar interests to connect with. I personally have quite a few Snapchat friends that I've made through meeting people at speech meets or concerts, and although we live nowhere near each other, we still know how life is going and can easily communicate.

Raising awareness for issues has never been easier. It's simple to create accounts for anything and everything. When you live far away, rallying behind social justice issues such as the Dakota Access Pipeline is actually possible. So although we can't be there in person, we can protest, petition and get the facts online.

It's also beneficial to gain insight on issues going on outside of your town, state, or even region. It's easy to stay in a "midwest-bubble," but social media provides us with a way to diversify our knowledge, news sources, and opinions.

An aspect of social media that's quickly gaining popularity is live-videos. This is so, so, so important because we can see the unedited truth, whether it be someone doing a live unboxing of a package, or an innocent man being shot to death in the passenger seat of a car.

I always find it ironic when people complain about millennials' use of social media...through their own social media. Oftentimes people claim we use it to "cry when we don't get our way." And I strongly believe that that is not the case for the majority of millennials. If that is all you tend to see out of young-peoples' posts, then you are following/friending the wrong young people.

The people my age that I surround myself and fill my social media with are empowering individuals with wonderful, creative minds. They don't blindly "cry" about anything, they know their facts and their personal beliefs and use social media to share their views. Although they might not always line up with mine, I can respect that they are using the accessible-to-anyone platforms we have in this day and age to say their opinions that they are so completely entitled to that it's not even up for debate. It is never okay to limit or downplay someone's freedom of speech.

So I will say it again, if all you see is "criers" and millennials complaining when they don't get their way, then you aren't following the right millennials. (Or you have trouble with opposing opinions. In that case, unfriending and unfollowing is super easy).

Over-generalizing never ends well. So remember, not all social media is positive, not all millennials are good. But both are out there and both are in abundance.

It's undeniable that millennials are powerful and a can be highly educated and impactful in today's society. And the power of social media combined with the drive and spirit of millennials is an unbreakable force.

I'm am oh-so-thankful to have grown up in the age of technology.