Issues in Society
Issues in Society
As the world becomes more and more dependent on technology and all the devices that allow people to remain “connected,” there is no bigger culprit to luring people online than social media sites. These sites include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and other sites that hook the user to visit the site repeatedly. Surely the connectivity of people around the globe has been a fortunate invention for various purposes, such as keeping in touch with friends and family who live hundreds or thousands of miles away or for more serious purposes involving business or professional contacts. There are positives and negatives associated with the use of social media in the lives of people throughout the world, which will be the focus of the following paper.
Benefits of Social Media
Social media has definitely allowed some great advances for people throughout the world. The design of social media has been incredibly helpful for society due to the instant communication opportunities it presents. When important news is occurring, it is social media that tends to “post” the latest updates faster than most people can find a news program to watch. In terms of natural disasters or political matters, it has been one of the most useful tools to help organize people and deliver important information.
“During Superstorm Sandy, most people didn’t have power, but some cell networks and WiFi towers were still operational. Many people used Facebook to detail the destruction and reassure friends or family that they were safe” (Rupert, 2013). On many occasions when there have been natural disasters or other events involving terrorists’ attacks, social media has been an incredible tool for communication among loved ones, as well as for delivering the most up to date news on the status of the event.
One of the most extraordinary events to take place was the organizing of political revolutions in countries like Egypt and Ukraine where social media played a key role in spreading the word about unifying the people to the locations where peaceful protests were to take place. “While revolutions existed long before Twitter, political movements are clearly social phenomena and therefore governed by the laws of social networks and accelerated by social media” (Satell, 2011). Many young people in nations like Egypt and Ukraine have organized a revolution in their countries informing fellow citizens about plans to gather in public places. In this manner, the communication tactics for the development of massive groups like these were only possible as a result of the fast and widespread access of citizens through the use of social media.
In recent times during the 2016 election year in the United States, social media has been pivotal to the candidates who are running for president. During this election year candidates are turning heavily to social media to deliver their messages in order to inspire voters to back their campaigns. One of the candidates, Bernie Sanders has made great strides in his campaign as a result of social media. “According to decisiondata.org, Bernie received 29,525 press mentions from June to mid-January, compared to an astounding 21,536,032 Google searches” (Wellman, 2016). In addition to that data, it appears that the campaign funds raised by Sanders is at a record breaking high for individual donors who tend to be a large percentage of millennials using social media as the method of exchanging information on who these political candidates are and what they stand for.
Damage Done by Social Media
As in most things of life, too much of anything is never good, and in terms of social media, despite the numerous benefits that have been discussed, there are also an equal amount of disadvantages that have damaged society as a result of social media. Many young people, as well as older age groups have become overly dependent on social media and their obsessive need to stay connected to Facebook, Twitter, or any of the other number of social media sites. Several aspects of social media have altered the way people behave and interact. There are the repercussions that exist in how the individual sees him or herself, along with the shift in interaction of relationships among friends, family, and peers that has been hindered by social media.
Social media has allowed people to feel as though they have an abundance of friends, yet these individuals are people most will never even meet up with in person making these somewhat empty relationships (Smarty, 2013). Instead of giving those in front of us the time and attention they deserve, too many of us have our eyes glued to a device that is giving us updates on anything from breaking news to reading a Facebook friend complain about his or her day. The quality of personal relationships is diminishing and hindered as a result of social media relationships that are much more generalized and less sincere.
Another area in life that social media has been damaging to people is through the deep isolation and laziness that it has promoted in society. For example, people who are Facebook addicts tend to have higher BMI’s and are more likely to binge eat than their counterparts who limit their use of social media (Weisbaum, 2012). Instead of being active and meeting friends for a hike or some other activity, those who are relying on social media as their form of interaction and entertainment are left sitting in one spot without any physical movement. In addition to that, they are zoned out on their phones snacking on processed foods without even realizing how much they ate.
Conclusion
Although there are many good and bad outcomes to individuals and society as a result of social media, the report allowed for a brief glimpse into the social issues surrounding social media. It is important to be aware of the role social media plays in life in order to use the tool to benefit one’s life without taking on the negative effects. The key to how social media should be incorporated into one’s life is through a balanced approach, not too much and not too little. One should participate in social media to the degree that it benefits their lives but not so much so that they begin to ignore reality and become consumed by the virtual realm of society. Through research and examination of the issue through dialogues and discussion, there is progress being made in recognizing both sides of the social media spectrum. It is important to educate people on these findings in order to help them understand that just like anything else in life, excessive use of social media is just as detrimental to their health and well-being as any other addiction.
It seems that more progress could be made in reducing the negative effects of social media if the youth were monitored or informed of the problems that they will face if they do not create boundaries on their use of social media. Perhaps pediatricians need to become advocates of the children to inform parents and young people on limiting their exposure to social media to ensure that only good things come out of their use of social media rather than the list of harmful effects that are likely to develop if the child or adolescent has free range in their use and access to social media. If society can begin educating individuals while they are young, perhaps these problems can be minimized with mindfulness. In conclusion, social media is definitely and issue in society to face as technology and the internet become more integral to the functions of daily life.
References
Rupert, S. (2013, April 18). Social Media's Top 5 Contributions to Society. Social Media Today.
Retrieved from http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/social-medias-top-5-
contributions-society
Satell, G. (2011). Digital Toronto. Retrieved from http://www.digitaltonto.com/2011/social-
media-and-revolution/
Smarty, A. (2013). Social Media and Society: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. SeoChat.
Retrieved from http://www.seochat.com/c/a/social/social-media-and-society-the-good-
the-bad-and-the-ugly/.
Weisbaum, H. (2012, November 9). Facebook makes you spend more, research suggests. Today
Money. Retrieved from http://www.today.com/money/facebook-makes-you-spend-more-
research-suggests-1C6969482.
Wellman, N. (2016). Here's How Much Bernie Sanders is Dominating Social Media
Today. Retrieved from http://usuncut.com/politics/bernie-sanders-is-dominating-social-
media/
