Impact of Social Media on Society

The impact of social media on society is the theme of this essay. To begin, social networking websites provide a platform where people can share their ideas and experiences. It provides an opportunity for the people around the world to connect and be part of an international community where everyone’s voice can be heard. While there seem to be positive benefits that come out of social media, those positives are the negatives that make social networking websites corrosive to the ‘real’ community. The idea of creating your own persona is what makes the online world different than the real world. You can choose to be different and this difference is what affects us as people and as a community. Just as how novelists write novels and create their fantasy world in books; social media allows people to create their own fantasy world where they find a sense of happiness and acceptance. It is human nature to feel better when they are praised or appreciated. This sooner or later becomes an addiction and people get falsely motivated to do things in seek of other people’s approval. Therefore, recently-developed social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. are corrosive to ‘real’ communities because they influence social/medical problems, the feeling of unfulfillment in life (productivity), and the lack of motivation to do work.

Social networking websites can lead to social/medical problems for an individual which can be harmful to real communities. Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature

A study shows that 20-40% of adolescents have reported being a victim of cyberbullying. A simple text message or comment can sometimes be interpreted in the wrong way. Due to the very nature of the online world, being anonymous encourages people to gain confidence to say whatever they want. Comments are then met with a barrage of replies exposing one and other. This is all accessible to the public, making it easy to share and give invitation to others to join in on the argument. One of the pros of social networking websites was for people to connect, share thoughts and unite. Except now, we have people uniting in hatred, sharing and exposing each others weaknesses. Cyberbullying has an accelerated effect because unlike bullying, which typically is a situation between a small group of people, for it to take place online involves every person who has viewed it and this very idea makes it easier for the victim to experience depression, trauma, and in worse cases can also lead to suicide.

Someone might find themselves spending excessive amounts of time on social networking websites since it offers an incredible neverending feed and easy communication that is accessible at anytime. When the use of social media interferes with school, work, family and social relationships, it becomes an internet addiction. Just like any other addictions, internet addiction is linked to depression, self-injurious behaviors, increased alcohol and tobacco use, and obesity

Spending excessive time on the internet can also cause sleep deprivation. The light emitted by electronic devices is said to disrupt circadian rhythms delaying the release of melatonin, resulting in sleep problems. While it is recommended for teenagers to get at least 9 hours of sleep daily, those who get fewer than 6 hours of sleep may be sleep deprived. Internet addiction and sleep deprivation is linked, although they may share the same symptoms, the effects are greater. Sleep deprived adolescents also perform poorly in school as they might not be able to work at full capacity. This also applies to adults and other situations. Productivity decreases and people are less motivated to do tasks as they may feel tired at all times.

Recently-developed social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. are corrosive to ‘real’ communities because they influence social/medical problems, the feeling of unfulfillment in life (productivity), and the lack of motivation to do work. It is human nature for people to find a sense of dominance. In the online world, you don’t have to be physically dominant, this is a factor that motivates people to act out towards others. They gain confidence behind their electronic devices as there isn’t much fear of actual physical consequences. Internet addiction has the same pathology of other addiction causing health problems that can pose a threat to society. The most common problem associated with internet addiction is sleep deprivation which leads to more health problems and poor performance in school, work, etc. Social networking websites can be beneficial to society, however, the negatives outweigh the positives. Being anonymous or behind a screen is easier for people than to deal with situations in real life. Social networking websites make people more anxious, sleep deprived, depressed, increases the likelihood of self-injurious behaviors and is seen to increase alcohol and tobacco use, and cause obesity.

To conclude, social media has modified the manner in which human beings engage with one another completely. Now social media includes sharing stories, photos, and includes the usage of apps in addition to messaging to interact with others. This form of social media did not turn out to be popular till the year 2003 while Myspace and Friendster had been released. Shortly after Facebook was released however was not open to the general public till 2006, which has turn out to be the primary social networking site today. These networks have many tremendous effects which includes remaining in touch with friends, meeting new friends globally, offering academic benefits, in addition to the ease of mobile gaining access to it. Also there are a few bad outcomes which consist of identification theft, cyber bullying, reduced social interplay in actual life, and social isolation.

References

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