Introduction
Social media applications such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram have become a staple in our everyday lives. Because social media has become so prevalent within our society, it is easy to come to the conclusion that social media has a direct impact on our lives. Social media has both positive, and negative benefits that both work together to form our lived experience of the modern day technological revolution.
The consequences revolving around of the misuse of social media have reported to have devastating long term effects on the individual. While, the positive benefits of social media could potentially put us onto new paths, and completely re-write our destinies as we intermingle our reality with others.
This essay will discuss how social media impacts our lives. It will investigate the key ways social media impacts our lives and whether those impacts are negative, or positive. It will then analyze the nature of the impacts in order to understand them further. It will discover how we as a society have become to depend on social media in order to help understand the impacts it has on our lives.
Thesis
Social media affects our lives in many different ways, and the impacts are both positive and negative.
How social media impacts our lives.
Social networking was originally invented to bring people over long distances together. However, it has developed into something that even the original creators could not predict. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, are online communities that are designed to allow individuals to interact with friends, family, and colleagues online, in real time. In that regard, social media impacts our relationships, because it allows us to interact with one another more often.
Because of our more intense interaction, social media impacts our relationships in new ways that completely differ from the impacts of interactions using methods like telephone, and face-to-face interactions.
In a case study conducted on adolescents, it was found that when social media impacted the teens in a positive way, they experienced an increase in self-esteem and a stronger sense of well being (Valkenburg, Peter and Schouten 584-590). However, when the impacts were negative, the adolescents experienced decreases in self-esteem, and a diminished level of well being (ibid).
This study shows how social media can impact our levels of internal peace, and happiness. While adults are more capable of understanding their emotions, and dealing with negative situations, overall, this study shows that social media is impacting members of our society on a deeply emotional level.
In a similar study in the UK, researchers found that social media also impacts adolescents sense of belonging. It gives them an outlet to interact with others in their wider community, who re-enforce their beliefs, values, and social norms (Henderson, et al. 12-13).
On the extreme end of the spectrum, the negative impacts the social media has on our emotional well being can lead to devastating consequences such as suicide. This is especially prevalent in adolescents who are unable to reconcile the emotions they experience when they suffer rejection, or bullying online. They often feel trapped, and see no way forward. As a result vulnerable adolescents have chosen to take their own lives (Sweeny). Decreased levels of self esteem can lead to emotional development issues that become more noticeable in adulthood when the pressures of everyday life build up (Valkenburg, Peter and Schouten 584-590).
Although now we understand more about the negative impacts on the emotional well being of people, the first influx of social media sites on the web were seen as revolutionary ways to connect with others. Little was thought about its negative impacts, as the technology was new and had not been tested on mass groups of individuals. Over time, as our online presence on social media grew, the awareness of the impacts on our lives also grew.
The first social media website was called. Classmates.com. It was launched on the web in 1995 and heralded around forty million members. Because of the success of this website, and the apparent demand for more like it, other social media websites such as, friendster.com, bebo.com sixdegrees.com, myspace.com, and cyberworld.com were launched and soon became just as successful as classmates.com. The most popular social media website Facebook was launched in 2006 which still currently dominates the social media landscape today.
While in its developmental stages, social media originally attracted younger users, its popularity, tools, and ease of use started to attract the older generation as well. Nowadays, social media is used by all generations, and has even made its way into the workplace.
Social media impacts us in the workplace in a variety of ways; it has affected everything from career selection, promotion, marketing, to working relationships between stakeholders, bosses, and colleagues.
Social media has been found to impact our working relationships in both positive and negative ways. It has been reported that more, and more employers are checking up on potential employees through sites like Facebook, and Instagram, to see whether or not they are a good social fit for the company (Abate et al. 1-2). On one hand, this can help the employer decide whether or not the potential employee’s resume matches up with their real life examples.
Unfortunately, most of what we see on the internet can be misinterpreted, or blown out of context. An employer looking at a picture of a potential employee that depicts a night out with their friends may lead the employer to make judgments based on a moment in time, whose context may not be understood by the potential employer who is an outsider. This may cause the company to miss out on a potential amazing employee all because of a misunderstanding of context (ibid).
A prime example of how social media can impact our working relationships is seen in a 2010 case reported by the media. Ashley Johnson was a waitress at a popular restaurant and mostly enjoyed her job.
However, the waitress was presented with a situation which caused her a lot of frustration. So she vented her frustrations to her friends and family on Facebook, unaware that her employer was monitoring her page. The next day Ashley was fired from her job, because her employer saw her rant online as a breach of contract (Frazier 1).
Most people will vent to loved ones about the frustrations of work life, but when they are posted online, they are visible for anyone to see. Context is key when it comes to understanding the roots behind a post. However, context is often lost, or misunderstood as text based messages are read and interpreted from the readers own limited experiences, and understanding of the author.
On the other side of the spectrum social media can help strengthen our workplace relationships and even cause them to operate more smoothly. Bosses can use social media platforms to keep their employees, and stakeholders in touch with company policies, and operations. Twitter is a popular social media application that helps employers reach more customers and create a sense of pride within their employees. Instagram can be used my companies to advertise their products in a visually dynamic way, and can reach an audience that was previously unattainable by other means. Overall, social media has changed the way we work and operate within the workplace. Used wisely social media can aid us in our career endeavors. However, when it is misused, or misinterpreted devastating consequences such as job loss can occur.
In the same way that social media has an impact on our working relationships, it also impacts our interpersonal relationships with our friends, and family as well. On the family side, there have been links made between depression and internet addiction.
Moreover, internet addition has been linked to social media. Addicted users will often check their Facebook, and Twitter pages as the first point of call in the morning, and the last point of call at night. The effects on family relationships within the household can be severely damaged, as communication issue may arise from such behavior (Young, et al 25). Addiction to social media sites and the internet can lead to severe psychological issues. It can also lead to isolation, where the addicted user chooses to strengthen online relationships over face-to-face relationships.
Research in this area has found that face-to-face relationships are more valuable as the interactive nature of those relationships benefit us on many levels. The benefits of face-to-face relationships extend to increased sense of belonging, well being, and connection with humanity and society. It also fills the void in our emotional desires, and the desire to be accepted by others. Online relationships are often one dimensional, and are devoid of physical contact, which is an innate human need (Randerson).
Further research on how social media impacts our interpersonal relationships has found that individuals already suffering from psychological illnesses that are addicted to the internet will often prolong making an appointment with a health provider they can trust, because online relationships can give them a false sense of security and reassurance. This can lead to the individual either self diagnosing, or using social media sites as a way of self healing from their illness.
While this is not entirely bad, not getting help from a trained professional may lead to the worsening of their illness, cause social isolation that can impact their mental health in negative ways. Prolonging the need for treatment can impact the individual’s home life, as family members are pushed aside to make way for the individual’s intensive online relationships (Young, et al 25).
On the positive side, social media can give people a greater sense of social currency whereby the volume of friends on Facebook can lead the individual to feel accepted, important, and needed by their social group. Again the downside is that individuals may compare themselves to others, misinterpret images, and posts thus leading to the breakdown in communication which can lead to the dissolution of relationships altogether (Jain).
However, social media can also bring long lost relatives and loved ones together. Families who travel the world are able to use social media as a way of integrating with their families in ways unimaginable by the telephone alone. The ability to share real-time updates, photos and videos has proven to be an invaluable tool when connecting with loved ones outside of our communities.
If managed and utilized appropriately social media can help strengthen our otherwise distant relationships, and provide a way of communicating on multiple levels.
Social media also impacts our wider society, in the world of politics, media and marketing, social media has become an invaluable tool to reach a wider audience. In 2008 then presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama made history when he effectively used social media in his campaign (Rutledge).
Obama was able to send out voting reminders, and rally the support of younger voters using Twitter, and Facebook. He used social media as a tool to present his message of general and change which resonated with voters, thus securing the presidential position. In his re-election campaign, Obama took to social media once more and utilized it effectively which impacted voting and opinion polls.
When users of social media witnessed that President Obama had more like than rival Mick Romney, this gave voters the impression that President Obama was still in touch with American society, and needed by them. After this, an overwhelming majority voted in favor of President Obama, which was said to be due to the ‘popularity effect’. Social media gave President Obama the leverage he needed over his older opponents, who were labeled as ‘out of touch with society’ (Jain).
Overall, social media gave President Obama a sense of social currency that persuaded voters who were on the fence to get on board with his campaign, thus proving to be effective when he was re-elected in 2012.
Since its early conception, social media has been used widely by politicians who are interconnected to society. Moreover, politicians no longer solely rely on traditional media outlets to broadcast their message to the public, because social media helps them achieve their goals.
Social media has also been a useful tool for journalists, who are increasingly relying on social media to connect them to their sources. They also use social media to provide updates to their viewers in real time. Unfortunately for politicians and journalists, social media sites like Twitter also attract ‘trolls’. Troll is an urban term that describes an individual who posts negative comments on a post, with the intent to dominate their conversation with their one sided and limited point of view. Trolls often resort to name calling, potshots, and bullying tactics which has resulted in the title of ‘troll’ that represents someone living in hiding, and waiting in the shadows for someone to come along so they can strike without mercy, or reason.
Organizations large and small are impacted by the use of social media as well. Because of the interactive nature of social media, organizations are able to be more in tune with their customers’ needs, and wants. They are also able to utilize social media to launch marketing campaigns that rally the support of stakeholders and customers worldwide. Like journalists, and politicians, organizations have also been subject to trolls.
Although social media has many benefits for wider society, it can also lure us into a false sense of security and interconnectedness. The popularity effect of President Obama’s social media re-election campaign in 2012 proves that, people can overlook key inconsistencies, in favor of the majority opinion.
In this sense, social media impacts us all, because it has shaped the way our leaders participate with their voters. It impacts us all, because our leaders are no longer viewed through the lens of the traditional campaign trail, but is seen through the eyes of social media which can provide another view of the individual (Jain).
Overall, when managed well, and if proper interaction guidelines are in place politicians, journalists, organizations, and wider society as a whole can greatly benefit from the use of social media. However, if social media are misused it can impact our lives in a negative way. This can leave us with politicians who are elected because of their online popularity, not because of the policies they have.
Conclusion
This essay has found that social media impacts our lives in a variety of ways. It can impact our emotional wellbeing in both positive and negative ways. Social media can provide us with a sense of connectedness, and belonging, which can strengthen ties to our communities. The result of this is an increase on self esteem, wellbeing, and satisfaction of life. In the same manner, social media can also have a negative effect on our emotional well being when it is misused. Individuals can use social media to lie, cheat, and manipulate others out of money, and into relationships that are based on false pretenses. Negative interactions have proven to have devastating effects on self esteem, which has lead to cases of social isolation and suicide.
While these cases are more prevalent in adolescents who are emotionally immature, negative interactions online has proven to be just as devastating to adults as well. Individuals who suffer from pre-existing mental illness, or are vulnerable can be impacted in a negative way by toxic online relationships, and interactions.
The overuse and dependency on social media can lead to psychological illness that stem from social isolation. This can severely impact people’s home life and lead to the breakdown of face-to-face relationships. On the positive side this essay has found that social media impacts our interpersonal relationships in good ways as it can serve as a tool to bring people together who otherwise are unable to meet face-to-face. Long lost relative and new love can be found when social media are utilized correctly.
This essay has found that social media also impacts the workplace and wider society in ways that can be classed as negative and positive. In the workplace, social media can help organizations connect with their customers and stakeholders. This element of social media is important for organizations to reach potential new customers.
In addition to this, social media can also help politicians and journalists present their message to a much wider audience. Politicians rely upon the media to communicate their message. Social media gives them an extra outlet to do so more succinctly.
Overall, this essay has found that social media is a useful tool of communication, but it needs to be managed properly and utilized effectively in order for the positive benefits to outweigh the negative. When social media is used wisely, it can benefit society as a whole.
Works Cited
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