Social Media's Impact on Society Essay

Social media has guided us to believe that we need to be connected to others. “…the social media revolution has not made us feel more connected, less lonely, or replete with friends” (Barna Group). Social media has input certain beliefs into the minds of people while also taking away that time that could be spent with friends and family. Social media has allowed people to put on fronts and believe that these are the only means of communication.

One of the biggest benefits attributed to social media is, the opportunity to have a “voice” and create and audience of users with the same characteristics and interest, this is a great opportunity to those who would like to become a leader to some movement or idealism. Every day we see young people taking social media to denounce social issues. For example the “#BlackLivesMatter” movement, this movement was initiated in the internet to protest against brutality among black and colored men and women; or “The NOH8 campaign” which mission was to promote LGBT marriage, gender and human equality. On the other hand social media is constantly used for the wrong purposes, one of those purpose is to harass, and attack certain group of people or a certain person. Cyberbullying is has turn into a common word among today’s mid schoolers and high schooler. According to some research Pre-adolescents and adolescents tend to be a target to cyberbullying. As reported by to young studies Australia December 2004 article “Cyber-bullying Common among students” wrote by Sheila Alison, explains how experts conclude that cyber bullying is potentially more destructive than face to face bullying because it could reach a large audience and remove the safety factor of being at home(Alison, Sheila). Is important to remark that some of this cyberbullying event aren’t reported to authority or parents of the victims due to the fact that most of it occur online, only when something major happens is when

Social media has gained immense popularity, following increased access to the internet and technology devices including smart phones. Social media is used to denote platforms in which people build and share social connections; thus enhancing information sharing and interaction. Major examples include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram. Through social media, people can connect, interact and exchange information such as pictures, videos and other digital media by registering as users in these platforms and updating information affecting their lives on their profiles. When social media applications came into existence, these were mostly used for interacting and sharing with friends, relations and new friends acquired through these platforms. Social media has however been constantly abused, as people turn it into a ground to vent, lie, insult, bully or threaten others. The social networks no longer serve their intended purpose in the society and users have taken advantage of the free space to say whatever they want with no regard to how it affects others. People have used such domains to brandish their selfish acts and gains.

At this very moment, there are thousands of people worldwide who are retweeting posts on Twitter, liking pictures on Instagram or posting a status on Facebook. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are few of the many social media platforms that have become prevalent in our society. Because social media applications and websites allow users with easy access to communication with others around the world, individuals all across the globe are able to socially interact on a daily basis. Erving Goffman, Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead, three of many sociologists who viewed society through the interactionist perspective, would use these daily interactions to make generalizations about society as a whole. The paradigm of symbolic interactionism reaches conclusion about different groups in society, generally by observing everyday social interactions. Accordingly, interactionists would view social media as an aspect of society that consists of constant social interactions that continuously influences and affects individuals and the whole of society.

Social media has become prominent parts of life for many young people today. Most people engage with social media without stopping to think what the effects are on our lives, whether positive or negative. Are we as a society becoming more concerned with Facebook "friends" than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily lives? What will the longterm effects of today 's social media use be? There are many positive aspects, but there are equally as many dangers that come with the use of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, Instagram, gaming sites, and blogs. Social media has both negative and positive effects on society, it is up to the user to decide what impact they want to make. In order to make the right choices, we must dig in and research this topic thoroughly.

According to Forbes, there are about 1 billion social media accounts all over the world, these accounts makes almost all of the countries of the world connected with each other.Social media is a very common in today’s modern world, social media is considered to be one of humanity’s greatest achievements and accomplishments. Never before humans were connected to each other as in today’s world. and almost everybody has a Facebook account, there are about 500 million Facebook accounts. Facebook allow its users to chat with each other, to see each other’s pictures, and to comment on any post. Which is very useful in the business and marketing world.

However social media has evolved. It has become what it was always meant to be and that is a way to connect with people and build relationships. It has become more personal and therefore potentially more valuable.

Social Media since its genesis in the late 1990’s, has served as a tool used by millions of people (and growing exponentially) for many purposes inclusive but not limited to, promoting people, events, places , foods and ideas as well as aiding in communication. However, many may agree that with the advent of Social Media, came many other issues which have essentially resulted in far more harm to the world than good. On the other hand, others have also posited and praised Social Media as being the most convenient communication medium developed, allowing for the free flow of information across boundaries, in real-time. Some popular Social Media platforms used today are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, to name a few. It has been argued that these websites, having become the mainstream form of communication amongst especially ‘millennials’ are on the verge of replacing traditional personal interactions for the next generation. The writer has engaged the Social Media websites mentioned in various forms and has found it critical to assess the impact that Social Media has had on her, own lifestyle. Thus leading her to ask herself, “Have they changed how I interact in the world?” –She found she could not refute that, it has. Social Media affects a person’s life in many ways including general communication, romantic relationships and can influence narcissistic personalities.

The impact of social networking in the twenty-first century is the game- changing phenomenon within communication in our society today. Internet usage has skyrocketed in the past few years, with the usage of social networks. In society today organizations, schools, universities, kids, teens and college students are surrounded by social media and are linked and updated through networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Myspace just to mention a few. While social media is a great way of communicating and educating our society in various ways, it does appear to have an adverse impact on users such as kids, teens, and college students that are affecting their grades. Recently Gwenn Schurgin O’Keefe, MD, reported that children found tough to resist social media. Also, the use of tablets has been proven to affect kids as young as two years of age when used excessively. Therefore, the negative effect of social media and the use of tablets is affecting people of all ages in different ways.

Change is a topic that everyone worries about. One of the biggest changes that our society has seen since the turn of the century has been the advancements in technology. It has brought us to a time where we can access any form of news from almost anywhere through smartphones and tablets. The access our society has to technology has impacted present day teens more than any other age group, causing an addiction to the resources available. Major social media corporations that have become available since the start of the twenty-first century have become the main cause of this addiction. Sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are some of the most popular programs that have lured teens to a virtual life. In a recent study done on teens’ internet usage, it was shown that ninety four percent of teens have Facebook accounts, and the numbers continue to grow for Instagram and Twitter (Kaiser).

Where is your cell phone right now? Is it in your pocket, in eyesight on a table next to you, or maybe even in your hand as you read this? It would not be a surprise, since technology has brought a whole new world to people, and people are not letting go. With the invention of cellphones, social media sites like Facebook, and search engines like Google technology has shaped society in a brand new way. Though rising technology has plenty of benefits to offer society, it causes just as much harm as it does good.

Using social media not only leads to violent behavior but also has caused both emotional and social changes. Social media, especially Facebook, has resulted in students becoming heavily addicted to social media, and while many individuals would argue that drugs and/or alcohol are more addictive than social media or that social media addiction is not a huge problem, that fact is that social media is addictive and potentially problematic. Students that utilize social media on a regular basis may lose their ability to engage in meaningful face-to-face communication (Albury & Crawford, 2012). Even if the world is currently turning to technology, students must be capable to converse in the real life setting. Most social media websites have become highly famous for cyberbullying, and this has become an unfortunate trend in society. Students may write hurtful messages about their fellow students which may scare the students for extended periods (Albury & Crawford, 2012). Another issue with social media is that it has become impossible to know whether the students will utilize this medium in a constructive way.

Most companies use social media to drive brand awareness. After all, there isn’t much you can do in 140 characters other than say, “Look at me!”

Social media is the communication between individuals and groups to share and exchange their ideas through internet. The social networking is part of social media which plays the important role in today’s life. The biggest impact of the social networking is on children, youngs, and adults. Nowaday children are growing up surrounded by technology. They like to use technology such as mobile, tablets, and computers because they can connect easily to social network. We all know how important social networking can be part someone’s life. You are certainly no stranger to hear about social networking. Because now it is rapidly increasing a number of social networking, such as Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and others. According to social media Pro-Con.org only 26% of people were using social media in 2008 while within only 6 years the number went to 74% which is such a big dramatic change. Social network networking is a social structure that is formed from the individuals who tied with one or more specific types or relationship. The social networking has some positive and negative impacts. One of the biggest social networking website is Facebook.

The thought of LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networks can eat away at the conscience of executives who have yet to explore this unfamiliar world.