Social networking is a huge part of our lives today. Today, 2.8 billion people use it worldwide, meaning that over one third of the population uses social media in some way to communicate. Whether it's through facebook, twitter, Instagram or any other of the hundreds of sites used to communicate (Willis, 2017). Although social networking has grown exponentially, our society is not better off with social media today because it has prevented us from developing the required social skills. Social media has helped in the abundance of cyberbullying and, it affects our mental health.
The widespread use of social media in our society is preventing people from developing effective social skills that they require. A study was done by the online casino, Yazino, that found that 1 in 4 people spent more time socializing online via Facebook, Twitter etc, then they did face to face. As more generations are growing up with social media, they are more likely to favour communication over social media than in person. This shift may affect how we develop our social interactive skills based on the fact that we are not communicating as much face to face (Fowlkes, 2012). The same casino also did a study that found that 11 percent of adults prefer to stay home and communicate through social media instead of seeing and communicating with people in person. If people do not socialize in person, they will lose their communication skills which will make their lives very difficult. Communication is required in doing face to face interviews, and it's also is very important if you are applying for a job (Fowlkes, 2012). Keller-Fay’s TalkTrack did a research study and found that when we are communicating offline in person, 90 percent of the influential conversation happen in that time and only 8 percent happen when we are online communicating. Although some people like using social media to have 24-hour communication, you most likely aren't having an in-depth conversation, and learning from them, as you would when talking face to face (Fowlkes, 2012). With the use of social media being used, more and more people are either not developing or losing their social skills.
The use of social media in our society has caused an
According to the Pew Research Center, “41% of social media-users have experienced at least one negative outcome as a result of using a social networking site.” In this article, Norton uses logos, pathos, and ethos to explain his standpoint to his audience. Logos are used when Norton brings up the legal issues of social media such as privacy concerns. Bringing the reader into Norton’s own personal experiences of abuse and name-calling uses pathos. Finally, ethos are used indirectly in the article due to the fact that Norton is a writer and has experience with social networking and the negative impact it can have. Norton uses logos, pathos, and ethos by establishing evidence and logical points in his article to persuade his audience against using social networking.
These drawbacks include too many people being reliant to talking online rather than in person and not verbally communicating with friends even though they are in the same room. Jasmine Fowlkes shows the reality in how social media is affecting our new generation through her article, “Viewpoint: Why Social Media is Destroying our Social Skills.” After discussing the results conducted by several researchers, Fowlkes states,“As more generations are born into the social age, social media will continue to be the favored communication form among young people. However, this shift may begin to affect their ability to properly communicate in person with peers.” Many start to rely on applications on our devices to talk to people, but this results in less verbal communication. In addition, Kelly-Fay’s Talktrack research study showed that conversations held in person are much more impactful than on social media. Rather than making social media a huge part of your life, Fowlkes wishes that people would look up from their phones and engage more with others since that could change their lives.
The use of social media is ruining this generation’s real life social skills. According to Social Media Today, an online community for professionals, “The amount of time people spend on social media is constantly increasing. Teens now spend up to nine hours a day on social platforms, while 30% of all time spent online is now allocated to social media interaction.” Texting or online communications does not allow people to truly express themselves for who they truly are. There is a loss of social and personal development communicating through social media. For instance, people online are unable to use body language, tone, voice and facial expressions through a text. An article on The Telegraph, pointed out that “One in four people spend more time socialising online, using sites such as Facebook, than they do in person, according to research.” The study also found that even when there is an opportunity to see people face-to-face, on weekends for example, up to 11% of adults still prefer to stay at home and communicate on their devices instead. (USA Today). The problem with socialising online is that affects a person’s ability to communicate properly in face-to-face interactions. The person will feel a sense of social anxiety and not project their voice loud enough for their audience to hear them. For
Social media is another way of communication through technology. The social media trend is growing rapidly. It has become a daily routine for most people. Social media is affecting the world in many different ways. It was initially made to be a positive way of communicating, but over the years it has has a lot of negative impacts. One of the most known impacts is cyberbullying. Cyber Bullying is deliberately using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing, or hostile information about another person (Niemer 4). Although many adults experience this issue it is more common in teenagers. “For many teens, he explains, social media is not just a part of their life, it is their social world” (qtd. in Niemer 9). Studies show that 95 percent of ages between 12 and 17 have access to social media and 15 percent had experienced cyberbullying (Horn). These acts have caused depression in most teenagers. “In fact, a number of studies have found a connection between depression and social media victimization” (Miller 387). Some teenagers are afraid to stand up for themselves. The use of social media has caused an increase in fear.
As technology editing tools have become easier to use, many people have felt obligated to go on a photoshop epidemic every time they share an image to the world of social media. In a pervasive world where images of unrealistic standards fuel over the media on how one should look, social media has one of the most significant impacts in body dissatisfaction in today’s society. Throughout the last decade, social media has become one of the most common and favored ways for people to communicate, connect, and share. Thus, there have been many debates and discussions on whether social media has a positive or a negative impact in the way an individual perceive themselves. With the rapid growth and rise of smartphone usage among adolescents and young adults, social media outlets have become an essential part of one’s daily life. Today, when adolescents and young adults turn on their smartphones, often times, the first thing they will refer to is a social media site. It has become a place where they are exposed to news, images, and expectations. Thus, often times, these images, ideals, and expectations are ingrained in their brain and bombarded with what is considered to be beautiful in today’s society. Moreover, these unrealistic standards will often lead to a form of comparison, influencing them to take extreme measures. Although social media serves as a platform where people can connect, communicate, and share, it has a negative impact on one’s body image because it can lead to a
Social media has become a part of our life, and no one can imagine living without it. Social media has grown a lot over the several years. Young individuals have always thought that social media is a marvelous piece of technology, but they never think about the negative effects of ‘like’ culture, which contributes to conformity and other negative consequences. The article, The Insidious Evils of ‘Like’ Culture, written by Neil Strauss, tells us about to what people can go to get more “likes.”
Social media is another way of communication through technology. The social media trend is growing rapidly. It has become a daily routine for most people. Social media is affecting the world in many different ways. It was initially made to be a positive way of communicating, but over the years it has has a lot of negative impacts. One of the most known impacts is cyberbullying. Cyber Bullying is deliberately using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing, or hostile information about another person (Niemer 4). Although many adults experience this issue it is more common in teenagers. “For many teens, he explains, social media is not just apart of their life, it is their social world” (qtd. in Niemer 9). Studies show that 95 percent of ages between 12 and 17 have access to social media and 15 percent had experienced cyberbullying (Horn). These acts have caused depression in most teenagers. “In fact, a number of studies have found a connection between depression and social media victimization” (Miller 387). Some teenagers are even afraid to stand up for themselves. The usage of social media has caused an increase in fear.
DING! The sound of a smartphone going off can signal a variety of things: a text from a loved one, a weather alert, an e-mail from a coworker, or perhaps an update from a social media site. Any of these alerts or notifications may be important, but it is the update from social media that possibly has the largest effect. When it comes to America, a great majority of the population is active on social media; 65 percent of American adults use a social networking site (Perrin, 2015). When it comes to teenagers, 73 percent of American teens are involved in the use of social media (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickhur, 2010). On a world-wide level, it has been estimated that there is a total of 2 billion people, more than one fourth of the world’s
Nearly all communications are now done through some form of social media. Today around “seven-in-ten Americans use social media” to connect with their friends or to entertain themselves. In 2005 when the Pew Research Center began to track social media use, just “5% of American adults used at least one of these platforms” and by 2011 half of all Americans began to use social media (Pew Research Center). Today “69% of the public uses some type of social media” (Pew Research Center). Social media can negatively hurt relationships because of miscommunication and words are exchanged that normally would not be exchanged in person.
Every night Charlene texts her best friend who she usually talks to all day. Charlene just downloaded the new version of IOS 9 on her brand new iPhone 8; a leather case, new screen protector, and front-facing camera were included to ensure all her virtual communication needs. Unfortunately, the blue pine at the front of her house snapped as forty miles an hour wind rushed from the north. The magnificent beast slowly descended onto the electric power line, which caused a blackout within every house on the block. Lights go out and nobody can communicate except the family members in that household; however, without the social media realm, Charlene finds herself crying, not from the darkness, but the loneliness that encircles her. Isolation becomes an extremely possible realization because of the constant virtual communication. As hundreds of millions of smart phones create an online social network, there may be disturbances happening within the offline physical world. Most teens and adolescents are increasingly involved with the digital universe; this creates problematic barriers. Growth of an individual depends on many specific factors in daily life. Negative aspects of media, including change in physical well-being, social skills, and brain development ultimately create a decreased quality of life for the user.
Social media has many unique uses, and is an invaluable tool. While it can be harmful, and even dangerous, when you understand how to use it and what it should be used for it can greatly enhance your life. One of the many ways social media is beneficial is that it can help students who have just graduated from college find a job. There are hundreds of networking sites out there that a student can use to get there resume in front of the right people, and even doing something as simple as creating a blog about your job search and skill set can mean the difference between getting hired a month after graduation and a year after graduation.
Social Media is a vast realm that connects the divergent minds of young people. It is like a vacuum that collects our time, talents, and thoughts. Through it, we can learn about the lives of others whether they live next door or on the other side of the world. It links us together and closes the ever existing gap that separates us. But is this all that social media can do? Social media is a powerful platform that sets the standard for what is good, bad, popular, or what is even desirable or unattractive.
The label, “Social Media”, is due to its ability to encourage people to be more social and communicative through the internet. Yet, it is now known that the name might not live up to its expectation. With less face-to-face interaction, relationships and communication skills are being sacrificed. Although one may have one thousand
A picture is worth their pride. A picture is worth their self-esteem. A picture is worth their dignity. Social media networking has become a large part of today’s society. Media applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are rising in popularity, not only amongst teens, but adults as well. According to Pew Research Center, in 2015, 65% of American adults now use social networking sites up from 7% back in 2005 (Perrin). Bringing people from all over the world together, social media sites have made it easier for people to communicate and interact on all different levels.
Over recent years, the widespread use of social media has increased exponentially. In 2008, 24% of the United States population had a social media profile, and it has grown tremendously since then. Today, social media is a key factor in our lives; 81% of the U.S. population logs onto various social networking sites every day. Most people do not realize the negative effects that social media inflicts on society, such as the addicting nature it has, it decreases productivity, the health risks it causes, and the false sense of connection it creates. It also leads to comparison and jealousy, it leaves people susceptible to cyberbullying and online dangers, and unwise posting choices can harm one’s reputation. However, along with these disadvantages there certainly are some positive effects of social media. These include the speed of which people can communicate, the opportunity for people to connect, and the enabling of people to be more creative.