Before consideration of any effects of social media, it is essential to have a look at the definition of this phenomenon. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines social media as “forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos)”. (Social media. Merriam-Webster.com) The explanation from Business dictionary is broader and mentions different types of social media: “Primarily internet or cellular phone based applications and tools to share information among people.” (Social media. Businessdictionary.com)
Because of variety of social media tools there is not one exact definition but its two traits are usually mentioned. First of all, social media is a product of technology, an electronic tool. Secondly it is used to communicate and share content among people.
Thanks to the combination of these qualities social media gets some obvious pluses. It allows us to keep contact to our friends in other cities and countries, get acquainted with new people, share useful information and celebrate together important events. But every tool has advantages and disadvantages, can be used for good and evil. All is good in good measure. To my opinion social media gives us wide opportunities but if we use it in a wrong way it can have negative effects on an individual.
For example, people who spend hours looking at others’ profiles and photos in social networks get a “bunch” of negative emotions: negative mood, increased anxiety, envy, sense of loneliness and exclusion. (Schacter Hannah Psychologyinaction.org) Of course, if they waste their time in such a way, it influences negatively on their study or work results. It is also harmful for the eyes health.
If a person checks social media sites at leisure time, sedentary behavior is being created which has been “linked to physical health risks”. (Strickland 18) If pupils or students use social media during lessons, their attention reduces and it affects their study performance badly.
Honor Whiteman has collected different evidences that social media can have both negative and positive impact on human’s health and well-being. The researcher defines social media as “an array of Internet sites that enable people from all over the world to interact. This can be through discussion, photos, video and audio”. (Honor Whiteman Medicalnewstoday.com) His article is devoted mostly to large social networks and as it can be seen from the definition takes into account only sites not applications. So the first negative fact is that there is an addiction from social networking and it is similar to drug, alcohol or smoke addiction. (Honor Whiteman Medicalnewstoday.com) Stephanie Castillo approves this and adds that “the overconsumption of social media promote poor mental health and poor self-image, anxiety, depression, narcissism, and even eating disorders.” (Stephanie Castillo Medicaldaily.com) Another problem is cyberbullying. (Honor Whiteman Medicalnewstoday.com) But is it really a problem of social media? I believe it shows only that people behave in the Internet in the same way as in the real life. It was enough bullying at schools and universities before the Internet invention.
I would add about negative influence of social media on the moral side of a person. First of all, it gives a possibility to live the second virtual life. Many users mistake the wish for the reality in their profiles, depict themselves as they would like to be and live, not as they are. So they make it a routine to lie unchallenged. When other people look at these profiles and compare their lives to these images they can feel depressed as it was mentioned above. The second problem is that there are too many temptations in this field, for example sexual photos, virtual gambling, bad language etc. which awake the corresponding passions.
Social media let us get acquainted with people and facts which we could never see in our daily environment. But there is a risk to meet criminals or terrorists who are searching for their victims or supporters. From the other side, intelligence services that are catching them are looking through our messages. It is unpleasant knowledge. Big Brother is still watching you. Such awareness is also increasing anxiety.
Psychologists, teachers and parents are worried because of the decreasing of their authority. Children and students become more influenced by their friends’ posts and less by the words of parents and professors.
Furthermore, social media are used as a tool for marketing, ideas promotion and sales increasing by various firms and ideological groups. And social media are adapting for them. For example, VK has designed the possibility to create a community as a shop. It is not bad to use online shops working through social networks. But the social media originally created to share information and life experience among equals has become a tool to press our opinions, to change our minds, to make us buy or do things which we do not need.
So let me summarize information about negative effects of social media on an individual. The first problem is wasting hours looking at others’ profiles or sharing own content and waiting for responses instead of work or study. The results can be addiction, emotional, psychological and health problems, less personal contacts. There is a risk to become a victim of manipulation or cyberbullying. As you can see, all problems start with unconscious, uncontrolled use of social media.
But people who use social media consciously or under control (for example, children under parents’ control or patients at hospital under doctors’ control) can have positive impact of social media.
Honor Whiteman gives us some examples. Facebook activity of sharing experiences may be an indicator of person’s psychological health because people who communicate less get less happiness from enjoyable activities (such as talking to friends) in the real life too. So positive virtual communication and sharing experiences increase our ability to enjoy real communication too. Good news is also that social networks may spread happiness. When we write positive posts, they change our friends’ mood in a good way. (Honor Whiteman Medicalnewstoday.com) For users aged 18-24 social media is a part of their daily life because they have been using it since their adolescence. They “feel that the accessibility of social media can be used to improve relationship satisfaction with more frequent interaction” (Porter et al. 23)
Some professors at our universities create students’ communities at social networks, write hometask and download useful books there. Social media can help our studies if we use them properly.
We are usually not allowed to use information from Wikipedia and blogs in our writings but they are really helpful to get initial information about an issue. If we see something wrong in an article, we can correct it. Some teachers use Wikipedia for pupils’ projects. For example, children collect about information about churches of their town and then create a page in Wikipedia.
And of course when we communicate to our friends in other cities and countries, it enriches our knowledge and experience and makes us happy.
Works cited
Castillo, Stephanie. “The Adverse Effects of Social Media: Talkspace Brings Attention to How Overuse Can Harm Mental Health” Medicaldaily.com, 23 September 2015. Web. 19 June 2016
Porter K., Mitchell J., Grace M., Shinosky Sh., Gordon V. “A Study of the Effects of Social Media Use and Addiction on Relationship Satisfaction” Chapman University Communication Studies Undergraduate Research Journal Vol 2, No 1 (2012): 1-27 Web. 19 June 2016
Schacter, Hannah. “Me, Myselfie and I: the Psychological Impact of Social Media Activity”. Psychologyinaction.org, 7 September 2015. Web. 19 June 2016
Social media. Businessdictionary.com, Web. 18 June 2016
Social media. Merriam-Webster.com, Web. 18 June 2016
Strickland, Amelia, "Exploring the Effects of Social Media Use on the Mental Health of Young Adults" (2014). HIM 1990-2015. Paper 1684
Whiteman, Honor. “Social Media: How Does It Affect Our Mental Health and Well-being?” Medicalnewstoday.com, 10 June 2015. Web. 19 June 2016
