Negative Effects Of Social Media

Next time you are out in public, notice how many people are immersed in their cellular devices. I bet you will see a lot, and most likely these people are on their social media accounts. According to Brooke Lusk, the database and media manager for the Prevention Researcher, social media can be defined as, “an aspect of the internet which allows individuals and groups to create and publish online content, share the content, and interact about it.” These days, people are very involved with the internet and social media. Some think this is a benefit while others think this is a detriment for many reasons. Social media allows people to stay connected and explore new things, but there are many negative aspects that can affect self esteem, cause

It has become extremely common for an individual to sign into their Facebook account, and see a picture that they feel exposed a little too much. Check into their Instagram account, and regret letting everyone know what their location was. Feel uncomfortable, or bullied by a tweet that a person posted to their Twitter. Per Farheen’s article on negative effects of social media “participating in social media sites such as these can make you feel more connected” (Sagheer 1). It is not okay for individuals to feel victimized due to the negative effects of social media. Social media tends to distract, humiliate, and destroy one-self through entertainment. If people would donate more time to things more supplemental to their growth, and limit their use of social media, then maybe people would stop walking over the harm that social media presents to our community. Monitoring the time invested into social media will help eliminate most of the detriment, privacy issues, and bullying flowing through today’s society.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are commonly used among the younger generations, but can the excessive use of these apps cause mayhem? According to a new study conducted by the Family Technology Education Non-Profit Group, teenagers are spending nearly 9 hours a day on social media. The excessive use of social media is a bad influence on adolescents because of the negative impacts it has. Social media can cause direct impacts to the mental health, safety, and lives of its users. Teenagers need to ensure that they are being cautious and responsible while using different social media networks.

Social media is a platform that has the ability to allow individuals from all over the world to connect to one another, and this has created an immense network for people to communicate with each other. Technology and social media have increased connectivity among people and this has lead to stronger relationships. Social media hasn’t hindered connectivity, it’s promoted it to another level, by allowing individuals to connect to people all over the world, making communicating easier, and helping maintain relationships,

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Instagram, and Flicker was invented to keep us in touch and keep us closer to our family and friends. But according to How Facebook ruins Friendships “we took our friendship online” (Bernstein). First we began communicating more by email than by phone and then switched to instant messaging or texting. By joining social Medias online

Social Networking sites have become increasingly more popular in the last decade. This study was addressing the negative psychological consequences from heavy social networking in adolescents. Since technologies are evolving and having a connection to Internet in a portable device is common these days, this study wanted to determine the effects this can lead to. Teens and young adults are tested though a questionnaire in several different countries. The study mainly focused on FOMO as well as the just the general usage of the social networking sites (SNS).

You know the device that is constantly with you at all times? How much time do you spend on it? In the last nine years, the online world has changed substantially. Because of the invention of social media, individuals in society are capable of swapping ideas, feelings, personal information, photographs, and vlogs in the blink of an eye. To many, the attributes of social media are internalized as assets, however, this quick, efficient, and easy platform, which enables us to connect with just about anyone in the world, has the potential to lead to various harmful effects. As of today, there are a little over 322 million people that live in the United States, 64% of whom own a smartphone. This means that approximately 206 million people have access to social media, anywhere at any time. (final inquiry project). It is because of our ability to use these online applications that we as humans are more susceptible to cyberbullying, inferior social skills, and a tarnished reputation.

The use of social media in modern life in unavoidable. Services like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are how we stay connected with friends and document our lives, for better or for worse. Young people are told countless times that we spend far too much time scrolling through newsfeeds and stories, but is there any genuine reason not to? While social media is helpful in countless way, it can also be detrimental to our wellbeing. There is a reasonable balance to be found between social media use and real life.

In our current technology dominated world, a great number of social networking sites exist, which many of us use as a way of communicating with others. Although the majority of us find social media very useful and convenient, there are lots of consequences that follow with its use. Recognizing the dangers of social media, Danielle Reed attempts to prompt her readers to reduce the amount of time spent on such sites through her article, “Negative Impact of Social Networking Sites”. Being a social networking manager, Reed is able to notice teenagers as the primary users of social media. Because of this, Reed focuses on swaying not only teenagers, but also their parents through her article by describing the risks of using social networks. Even though Reed lacks in the use of pathos throughout her article, her ample supply of statistical support and plausible sources greatly assists in effectively persuading the readers to cut down the use of social networks.

Approximately 81% of the United States population is reported to use social media sites on daily bases (Statista). Social media is specific to websites and applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and the alike. Each of these social media sites have their own effect on different kinds of people. For instance, older people are more likely to use Facebook than Snapchat, where younger generation is more likely to use Snapchat and Instagram over Facebook. Many of these social media sites are created by individuals as a free enterprise economy; this means the individuals that created social media sites want people to use it in order to make money. Although some people might believe that using social networking sites increases cyberbullying and online predatory behaviors, in fact social networking sites only helps people increase connection with friends and improve life satisfaction.

The first thoughts that come to mind for many people regarding social media are quite unfavorable. Profiles on Facebook, tweets on Twitter, and photos on Instagram all tend to have a negative connotation because they are typically associated with isolation, narcissism, and mental illnesses. The impacts of social media are greatly determined by how a person uses it. While one person may lose themselves in the online world that social media creates, another may greatly benefit through meeting new people and learning about new topics, such as other cultures, political views, religions, etc., that can be introduced into their real lives outside of their online lives. Even though social media can be seen as a more disadvantageous contribution to society due to the loneliness and isolation it may cause, social media allows for a greater connection to the social and intellectual worlds. While social media provides a platform that amplifies social and intellectual isolation, it more importantly allows for people to connect to others and learn about different perspectives when used correctly.

With the help of technology, we can spread information faster than any other media source. From natural disasters, a famous figure passing away, or other shocking news; it only takes seconds for a friend to post it on their social media page, along with their reaction. With that in mind, because we live in the information age, the abundance of data we are exposed to can easily cause weariness (Kelly). As not everything shared is of interest to some individuals due to the information can be truthful, untruthful, or an opinion of the writer. Truthful information oftentimes becomes difficult to ascertain. While social media has allowed thousands to have a voice and spreads information that the user feels is important, a side effect is the spreading of false information distinguished as the truth. According to a website called Statista, eighty-one percent of U.S. Americans have had a social media profile, which is a five percent growth to previous years (Peng). While those numbers can be helpful while spreading news of a lost child on social media, negative results can take place as well. I have experienced firsthand how social media can spread news like wildfire, but in the process, the information gets twisted and changed becoming no longer truthful. Despite the previous viewpoint on the positives of social media, there are noticeably more negatives that imperil individuals.

Tweng (2017) questioned the connection between smartphones and the apparent psychological distress this generation of adolescents is experiencing. One can question if the psychological distress that many adolescents are experiencing when they communicate on their social media sites is not depression. Since social media is a primary source of communication used today, one questions how it affects society and especially the adolescent. Therefore, this research study wants to enrich the existing findings of how rapid communication done thru social media can evoke internalizing symptoms leading today’s adolescents into major depression.

Advancing technology has played a part in the new methods of communication and with being very social creatures, who experiment with new ways of socializing, have found a new way to connect. Social Networking websites have changed how the world connects with friends and family, changing from the traditional ways of connecting with others like face-to-face connections. Many concerned themselves that social networking friendships centered on expectations that sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and more would be used primarily to build online friendships between physically separated individuals lacking face-to-face interactions. These sources are becoming what people rely on to meet and stay in touch with friends and family. Shannon Vallor in Social Networking and Ethics states that “Within five years of Facebook’s launch, . . . a significant majority of SNS users were relying on these sites primarily to maintain and enhance relationships . . . with whom they also had a strong offline connection…” (2015). Has social media become an alternative way people communicate instead of face-to-face interactions?

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