Negative Effect On Social Media

Social media is a big killer for many companies, it affects productivity Social media has gone far, by accomplishing many ways on how we communicate and socialize with other individuals. Also, used social media for our own benefits, or used it as a downfall. Many people used social media to interact and socialize. In fact, there are many Americans who are extremely addictive to social websites which are making those people less productive.

Several studies show that social media can have a serious negative impact on an individual. A study by Forest & Wood (2012) shows a clear negative relationship between low-esteem users and their use of social media and how it jeopardizes their chances of creating meaningful relationships. Another study conducted by Pea et al (2012) show negative physical and emotional outcomes for young girls using social media. A study conducted by Lin et al. (2016) discusses how social media use is linked to depressive symptoms. Lastly, a study conducted by Verduyn et al. (2015) shows a negative relationship based on how users interact with social media leads to lower feelings of self-worth and emotional well-being. Social media is a staple of modern society and its use can have serious negative consequences. Making those effects apparent and understood by at risk individuals is imperative so they do not suffer damage unknowingly.

Media in all forms has transformed the world in many aspects of the society as a whole as well as individuals lives. With technological advancements, the influence of social media has had a significant and detrimental effect on the masses. In Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death he discusses the role that television plays in society and how its methods of providing information to the public are nothing more than entertainment. In addition, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World Revisited discusses his opinion on mass communication through media as well as his prediction of the future of propaganda in the political world. The influence that the media has on the public has grown exponentially in the past few decades and with that being said,

In modern society, there are multiple types of social media to fit the needs and technological strengths of its user. These applications and web programs help people see their peers’ and idols’ lives and accomplishments firsthand. Companies use social media to promote their merchandise and sales. Family members can interact with younger relatives through video chatting applications, watching them grow up while living thousands of miles away. However, social media is not always the best tool for connecting people. Pre-teens and teenagers who refrain from using social media, specifically Instagram, are sheltered from cyberbullying, pedophilia, and unnecessary alcohol information, all of which may or may not be age-appropriate.

This just in...”Suicide Number Seventeen in the Town of No Hope…”, “County School Teacher Charged with Identity Theft…”, “Sixteen Dead After High School Massacre.” These headlines clearly demonstrate a self fulfilling prophecy of humanity’s magnitude of failures. Negative events occur. The media promotes these events, which in turn creates situations where these events are likely to recur. Unfulfilled desires are a direct result of the idealized and glorified life displayed through media. One’s treasured privacy is destroyed through networks ability to persuade and provide information. Laws are broken in relation to the media's glamorization of violent crime. Thus, excessive and uncontrolled devotion to social networking has detrimental effects on people.

Having social media platform changes privacy into public, no matter how private you may try to be. Social media changes everyday no matter the platform. It could be face book, twitter, instagram, or snap chat. The biggest non privacy platform is Face Book. Many people has gotten so use to posting their daily life on social media that it never dons to them that they have no privacy. When people are getting ready to post a “status” or a picture they don’t stop and think about what it is that there posting or take a moment and think like “do I really want the world to know this about me” or “is this picture appropriate for the internet”. Being is okay sometimes for certain things, but everyone needs a little privacy weather it’s safety or something as little as sharing your location. Many people take to instagram and post inappropriate pictures or private pictures like money and things they may do to make their money. They don’t think about the “friends” or “followers” or just anyone in general of who may be watching. Social media today isn’t just a way to tell the world your business, but also one of the biggest ways to get “caught up” if you may be doing anything wrong. On social media people would do anything to be in someone else’s business, they go as far as making fake pages and it’s really the law enforcement “following” or your “friend” on social media.

Bill Gates once said, “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” Much like Mr. Gates mentioned, I believe technology must remain as a tool. It is no surprise the growth of technology. Nowadays, everyone is a user of a social media page and it has become a normal thing to be a part of the web community. However, those individuals do not realize their use of technology can negatively affect their emotional/mental, physical, and social wellness. Social media creates an unbalanced lifestyle.

The Thumbs up and Thumbs down of Technology & Social Media in Relation to Food

Social Media today seems like it is always compared to a drug, a lot of people are addicted to it. Considering where technology is right now we aren’t addicted to Social Media, it just turns out to be our daily essential for information that we crave for. Technology has unlocked faster communication and the ability to spread information quickly. Which allows us to connect with the world and discover other people’s perspectives, creating a more diverse view and opinion of topics and information. In addition, not all information is truthful, especially the widespread of fabricated news, but with technology and social media a lot of people can fact check information instead of getting news from mainstream media outlets that alter news to acquire more revenue. And if Social Media is so bad, why does everyone still use it everyday?

Social networking has revolutionized our world, but has aroused many difficulties. CNN says, “teens spend 9 hours a day...consuming media” and “girls spending about an hour and a half a day on social media and boys a little under an hour”. Teens are so caught up socializing with friends on Instagram or checking the feed, that they have forgotten how to properly talk to anyone they meet in public. Teens are having trouble distinguishing between a true friendship and a fake one. While social networking is easy, teens are having trouble balancing their “in person” conversations and online conversations. In addition, many teens find posts about events they weren’t invited to, causing a sense of exclusion. Pewinternet.org says, “the bulk of teens (42%) saying it happens occasionally and just 11% saying it happens frequently.” about finding post about uninvited events. Teens also have to think carefully about what they post, so they can get the best reaction from friends or a certain number of likes. This results in a vast waste of time and unnecessary stress pertaining to a simple matter.

One of the biggest technological advancements of today's world is social media. Social media had become a global forum for open communication. There are many platforms for dating, sports, online shopping, advertising, and so much more; some of which include: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Tinder, just to name a few. This development has impacted society both positively and negatively. While it allows businesses to advertise, institutes to offer online education, the antisocial to socialize, and those with busy lives the ability to communicate on-the-go, it in contrast, makes room for predators to bully, steal ones identity, hack accounts, and commit fraud. Social media attracts many types of people, but the three most common types to be aware of are social lurkers, social catfish, and social attention seekers.

In the past decade, the use of social media has been on the rise due to its easy accessibility on cellular devices. Almost seventy-five percent of adolescents and teens have a cell phone, where twenty-four percent feel as though they are “constantly connected”, and fifty percent confess feeling addicted to their cell phones. Overall, social media does have qualities that do benefit some people. Some of which include the ability to access new concepts and information, the ability to easily communicate with others, and help with early learning. Although, it is when social media is not used in moderation or when it is not used with the right intentions, that the lines start to get blurred. The negative affects social networking sites can have on teens and adolescence include larger rates of obesity, feelings of depression, having access to false information and unsuitable subject matters, and the loss of privacy. Social media has negative effects on mental health by subjecting teens and adolescents and introducing them to the dangers of cyberbullying, child grooming, and sleep deprivation.

Walking down the hallways of any high school can be a maze. Majority of students have their heads down looking into their phones. Awkward moments are avoided by constantly refreshing social media apps to look like things are being done. Phones and social media are a huge part of life these days, “94 percent of teens who go online using a mobile device do so daily. 71 percent of teens say they use more than one social media site.” (HHS). More than half the teen population is using social media websites and the effects of them can be life long. Everything from bullying to harassing someone can occur on these sites. Along with being judged by others and judging yourself based on what other people post as well. Social media can be a great place to share things with friends but it can also be a place that lowers self-esteem to rock bottom.

Social media has become one of the top forms of communication in todays society. The number of social media users is increasing fast. In January 2015, social media users exceeded 2 billion which is 12% increase since last year ( (Bennett, 2015)). The number of hours spent on social media globally is 2 hours and 25 minutes ( (Bennett, 2015)). These statistics show that social media consumes the everyday lives of many, that impacts society. Although this impact contains both positive and negatives, the negatives have a larger impact in today’s age.

Our lives seem to be more and more consumed by technology as great advances in this area have continue to be made, especially when it comes to social media. Many researchers have begun to notice that depending on how much time individuals spend on these social media sites, they can negatively affect their daily lifestyle in very significant ways.  For example, social networking has become a huge distraction for students and it can affect their grades depending on how often they check their various accounts while doing class work.  Researchers have also come to find out that social media can contribute to the development of psychological symptoms