More than a decade ago, the buzz was around e-mails and their breakthrough in communication. Then came instant messaging. Ya’ll remember the days of MSN and Yahoo? Nostalgiaaaaaa…
Fast-forwarding to recent times – we have a cheaper, faster, and more convenient way to be in touch with each other: SOCIAL MEDIA! We use it in every part of our lives, be it relationships, friendships, entertainment, or simply killing time by browsing through a hilarious collection of memes.
Have you ever stopped and wondered about the impact of social media though? Especially now, that we have hundreds of people around us, spending nearly every waking hour connected in some way? In this blog, we will explore a few “good” and “bad” ways social media has changed the world.
Social Media: The Good
There's nothing like killing time on social media: participating in groups, posting memes, and engaging in insightful discussions. There are lots of ways to add value to your time. Here are some other things I’ve observed.
Improves Connectivity
Before emails and instant messaging, we had pagers, and then telephones with old style dials. If someone didn’t answer their phone, we had to call back at a later time, or catch them in person. Also, there was no caller ID, so it was hard to catch up to people. With the advent of social media, now communication is as easy as leaving a voice note or sending a text. Of course, there is that problem of ignored messages…
You can see what others are doing, instantly – thanks to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. While the communication is digital, keeping in touch with friends and family members, located thousands of miles away, is easier than ever. Kids nowadays have no idea how convenient this is to our daily lives, while things have gotten difficult for the oldies…
Spreads Awareness
The rise of social media has made it faster to access information around the world. Smaller, bite-sized chunks of information via infographics and posting of blogs/articles make it easier to digest information, and indulge in sensible, yet sometimes overly analyzed discussions (beware of keyboard warriors).
A simple status update on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, or picture on Instagram and we can instantly gain insight regarding issues around the world. Stories, videos, photographs and updates can be disseminated in lightning speed. More than 50% learn about breaking news via social media.
Tells Your Story
Social media gives everyone the opportunity to share their life stories online. Whether that is through Tumblr blogs, Facebook posts, Snapchat stories, or Instagram pictures, normal people now have the capacity to voice their opinions on a massive scale. You can even become a viral sensation – not always in a good way though.
Boosts Marketing
Social media gives businesses of all sizes the ability to give their brand a voice. It allows them to connect and engage with clients, fans, and even employees. Companies can amplify their messages in plenty of ways. Some even use memes for spreading the word!
In simple words, you have countless of opportunities to promote your products and services. You have paid advertising services and can even respond to customer complaints/queries in real-time. This results in better brand loyalty and customer service among followers, while generating real leads for your business.
Improves Civic Participation in Politics
Social media is increasingly changing the way we govern and are governed. You can now find an increase in civic participation and engagement. This allows the common man to be the source of initiatives, ideas, and plans that could actually be used for the advancement of a government.
This year, we also saw how SM was used more than ever by candidates. The US presidential election found politicians using platforms like Twitter and Facebook, as a key driver for their campaigns. Of course, it is a little unfortunate that Adolf Twitler a.k.a. Agent Orange a.k.a. Donald Chump became the President!
Social Media: The Bad
With the above benefits, it's hard to imagine any pitfalls of using social media. However, there are actually plenty of things that might want to make you close that browser window. So, without further ado, I present to you, the bad side of social media!
Social Media Addiction
Yes, it's real! People are addicted to social media, and believe me it’s worse than drinking alcohol. Not only do you tend to procrastinate more, but it’s like you just can’t control your hands from leaving the phone/laptop. If you find yourself checking FB after every 10 minutes or so, you are addicted! Don’t become that person who chooses…
The same goes for using the phrase “hashtag” in normal conversations (that does not make things sound cool), greeting your friends at a party by their Twitter handle, or if you can’t get beyond the main course in a restaurant, without taking a picture of the food!
The addiction results in spending increasing amount of time online, disconnecting you from the physical world. This creates a change in behavior, as people crave digital attention in the form of likes, comments. SM addiction is directly linked to ADHD, decline in intellectual abilities, stress, fatigue, and emotion suppression, none of which are good signs!
Obsession with Selfies
Social media has shifted human communication towards the more visual spectrum. People are obsessed with taking selfies, drawing out their narcissistic side. To some extent, it doesn’t even seem that concerning, until you look through an endless list of someone’s selfies.
How do these people get so much time to take selfies? Most importantly, what's with adding a deep quote in every one of them? And are you really being honest with yourself using all those filters? Keep the narcissism in check people, you wouldn't want to end up like the guy below...
Not to mention, while you’re busy taking that perfect selfie, you may even put yourself or others in danger. Many individuals have died taking selfies, toeing the edges of cliffs, climbing atop tall buildings, hanging off bridges, and even going as far as pointing a gun to their own faces. You see how easy it is to make an error...
A Menace to Work and School
Social media now plays an important role in the recruitment/employment sector. Businesses may check a potential employee’s private profile for things like sexual/religious content, references to alcohol/drugs, poor health, sexism, racism, poor grammar/spellings, and profanity, all of which can work against YOU.
A study by Professor Paul Kirschner also reveals that students who use social media excessively score 20% lower on tests. His team hired 219 students for the experiment, which discovered that users of social media had a GPA of 3.06, while non-users averaged at 3.82.
Spreads Misinformation
This is probably the worst thing about social media. It enables the spreading of unreliable information and false rumors that spread around like FIRE! Almost 49.1% of users have reported to have read false news on social media, creating stress and panic.
Social media even encourages self-diagnosis and amateur medical advice for health problems, which can be life threatening. Most teens will consider making a post about their issues, rather than actually consulting a professional!
Social Detriments
Teens get so addicted to using social media; they completely lose touch with their lives. They avoid going out to socialize, and decide to stay in their room alone instead. Less fact-to-face interaction leads to depressive traits. 47% of users reported texting or using social media while sitting down to eat, 10% of younger individuals check their phones during sex, and 95% use their phones during social gatherings.
Cyber-bullying is another commonplace on social media where individuals may send threatening or intimidating messages to others. Not only does this cause severe emotional trauma, but it also leads to suicide. 33.7% have admitted to indulge in online bullying activities, and 49.5% of students have reported victimization by bullying. A study in 2012 also found that 800,000 minors have been harassed on FB.
What Is Your Opinion on Social Media?
There is no doubt that all communication mediums come with their pros and cons. I love social media and believe it can make the world a better place, but I do think that it’s very overused in today’s world. What about you? Has social media changed your life in any way? Share in the comments below!
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