Social Media And Its Effect On Society Essay

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, what do they mutually have in common? They are all social media websites. Social Media has become the number one way to communicate with other people from around the world. It has been beneficial and helpful to many, on the contrary harmful to some. People use social networks to catch up with a childhood friend, endorse their business, or develop news faster. Other people use it to steal identities, cyberbully, and abuse others. It has stated that social media’s are “websites and other online means of communication that are used by large groups of people to share information and to develop social and professional contacts” (“social media.”) With this in mind, how has social media influenced

Take a minute to think about the world today. Everyone, surrounded by different social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and more, is being influenced one way or another and some without even realizing it. Throughout my lifetime I have seen a gradual increase in the amount of social media sites, the use of magazines, and the audiences of television shows and movies. All are experiencing a steady growth that is inflicting a negative outcome on society. With so many different influences from one form of media to the next, it is difficult to control what sites are posting as well as realizing what they are capable of doing to the human race, specifically to all the women in today’s society.

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.

In 2016, society is at a place where people are able to discover tons of information at the touch of a finger; this indeed can impact on how we view common things in society, such as identity. This statement holds true for “blacks” or African Americans as well. The stigma that comes with being black has been around for centuries; however, many blacks are using social media to combat negativity. In an era predicated on the use of the internet, black people have proven to be influential and resilient; having the ability to rise above hate. Blacks are able to rise above and cultivate change through the use of internet, music and sports.

Social media is a controversy topic in today’s society. Some people think that social media destroys human interaction and real life human relationships. While others think that social media is a bless to humanity. Social media makes human interaction much more convenient and much faster than real life human interaction, it makes globalization a reality, it gives a chance for introverted people to express themselves, and it also benefit develop international relationships whether its business or social.

According to Simon Kemp, there are roughly 2.08 billion active social media accounts worldwide, which is “a 12% increase since last year” (Kemp). Social media has become an enormous part of everyday lives. It has been made so that everyone around the world can easily connect to one another- and almost instantly! Social media is a growing industry and has many positive and negative affects on those who use it.

When Social media first began to be popular, it looked much different than what we think of when we think of social media today. There was MySpace and Facebook, and if you did not have one or the other, you needed to take a look at your life and your choices. MySpace and Facebook became a way to fit in. It began to change the way we think about friendships and communication. Everyone had MySpace because you had to be a part of a registered institution to be on Facebook, and when that day came, it was glorious. Now 829 million people use Facebook on the daily (Latka, 2014). While that seems like a lot, today we now have more options to choose from when it comes to sharing our lives with the world, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Yik Yak,

Are you concerned about the use of social media? Although the use of social media may concern only the slightest percent of people, it is still a very important privilege that many people around the world don’t have access to. Social media is important because in spite of the fact that there are many safety concerns, the use of social media is of great significance because it enables people to be able to connect with anyone they want whenever they want. Anyone can see why this might be a problem, but there are more things that are good about social media than bad. Have you ever wanted to get that person 's phone number but didn’t want to seem weird? Instagram has a direct messaging system and you can talk to anyone, along with almost every other social media site! You’re able to block anyone on all social media sites. If someone you don’t like is harassing you on social media, by law you can take the case in and the police have to force the person to stop. Problems on social media are very easily resolved and fixed so everyone can have a safe and easy time on social media sites. The social media world is different for everyone. There are many reasons why social networking is marked good and bad.

Nations around the globe rely on all types of media to address the general population about occurring events or incidents in the country. Countries such as America and China are well known for their excessive use of the media to cover important and none important events around the nation. The general public is affected by the media’s control in many forms, which can include media marketing of consumerism and social media. The Truman Show alludes the society in which compliance is forced, due to the media’s overwhelming control over the general public; and argues that there is no actual media control can be broken free from, because it is a person’s choice to seek their own path to freedom. This theme is illustrated through the symbolism of the characters of Christof, Truman’s Wife Meryl, and Truman. The claim is supported by the articles that include, 13 ways of looking at The Truman Show by Yacowar , Mapping the culture of control by Wise J. Macgregor, and The Staging of 'real-life ' by Kilborn . The central argument that, “We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented” (Wise), is supported in Mapping the culture of control by Wise because the general public want what everyone wants due to their need of fitting in with the so called social norm.

Deeply ingrained into the world, the concept of personality serves as the basis for all human interaction, and in this case, cyberbullying. With the explosion of social media and internet related activities, there has been a sudden increase in cyberbullying cases. Over the years, cyberbullying—which has often been linked “to harassing text messages, rumors spread online or through social media websites, and derogatory comments about someone on social media sites” (Stockdale, Coyne, Nelson, & Erickson, 2015)--has grown tremendously, accounting for nearly “42% of kids” (Laird, 2012). Despite cyberbullying being a widely-known issue that is prevalent in all levels of society, not everyone is aware of the main factor influencing cyberbullying—personality. By identifying the personalities behind the cyberbullying cases, individuals will become more successful in reducing the amount of cyberbullying cases.

Social media websites allow users to be able to freely communicate their thoughts, likes and dislikes, advice, photos, and more to those who follow them or whom they follow on websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Users are then able to communicate back and forth with one another on an instant basis. This communication tool has quickly revolutionized the realm of advertising and marketing by making the communication a two-way street. Advertisers are now able to interact with their target audience by posting digital ads through their news feeds on websites like Facebook and even suggesting companies that are similar to the ones that the user has previously liked. With this interactive communication tool at hand, it is highly recommended that advertisers advertise their product/brand through social media.

Technology is rapidly advancing, and in today’s day in age, social media is integrated into the majority of people’s everyday lives. Individuals should take into consideration their professional persona when it comes to social media, due to the fact that it will be beneficial for them and any future companies they are involved with. Take for example the incident that occurred over Twitter with American Red Cross. The company recently tweeted out an inappropriate tweet saying, “Ryan found two more four bottle packs of Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch beer… when we drink we do it right #gettingslizzard.” (Huffington Post 2011). Now instead of dealing with the backlash and negativity that emerged from the tweet, the company was thankfully able to turn it around and even launched a blood for beer campaign that gave beer to people who donated blood. Not all companies are able to turn around and save their reputation like American Red Cross however, and it is important to make sure what you post on the internet will not get you in hot water.

Social media is online platforms that are accessed through websites and phone applications where people can share photos, videos, thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc. Social media has been an ever changing and growing technology in today’s society. Some of the most popular social media platforms today consist of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, Pinterest, YouTube, and Reddit. As of January of 2016 there were over 2.307 billion active social media users (Chaffey, 2016). “Members of social networking websites communicate by posting we blogs (blogs), messages, video and music streams or files, and chatting” (An Overview of Social Networking Websites). Social media sites allow members and companies to promote themselves and their interests by creating and maintaining profiles on certain social media sites (An Overview of Social Networking Websites). Then people and or companies create content in which to post to their profile which displays on other peoples’ newsfeeds depending on if they are linked on through that particular social media platform. Social media is an ever-growing and changing digital media that both individuals and marketing departments of companies use.

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.

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!”