It is no secret how far technology has come. From writing book copies over and over again manually during the Middle Ages, to having ebooks today. Some believe this transition is amazing whereas some disagree. Nicholas Carr in his article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” challenges views over today’s technology. His work argues, through claims, anecdotes, and research from credible sources, that technology is distracting people which essentially leads us to being unable to think critically and deep read. Technology has also transformed the way we communicate with others. Social media networks, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin, offer a wide array of opportunities. It allows people to share their lives, entertain others, and also broadcast news. However, there is much controversy and mixed feelings on whether or not these personal platforms are beneficial to society. Jessica Brown in “Is Social Media Bad for You? The Evidence and the Unknowns”, Bella Kistner’s “Is Social Media Helping or Hurting Society?”, and ProCon.org in “Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society?”, provide the negative aspects of social networking, however, it also provides counterclaims to these arguments and lists the positive attributes of these websites. Many of these platforms are not as closely supervised as one would expect it to be, allowing for people to be abusive, leading to cyberbullying. However, many advantages come from these social networking sites, such as the fast spread of news.
Social media has shown that it the root of many problems in today’s society. Cyberbullying is a prominent problem today. Bullying at school has been a problem for a long time, despite this, a student could come home and catch a break. However, with social media, bullies can come online and harass their victims online as well. The cyberbully may not even be a person that the victim knows. Many people online harass people they don’t know because it is easier to do it behind a screen rather than face-to-face (Kistner). Social media also has negative effects on mental health, proven by studies. Social media contributes to increases in stress, depression, and envy (Brown). Many people seek to use these websites to vent about problems. However, the question is, does this therapeutic form of venting cause more harm than good ? Pew Research Center in 2015 sought to find the answer to this question (Brown). According to the study, which surveyed 1,800 people, women are more stressed than men with Twitter being one of the main contributors. These women report that seeing someone vent about their stress caused them to feel stressed as well (Brown). Social networking can also cause depression. Two studies have proved that many teenagers who have low self-esteem, moods, and other depressive symptoms, feel it as a result of negative online experiences (Brown). Lastly, envy also results from social networks. When one sees another person living lavishly it causes one to compare themselves to others. Then, they may plunge into a “envy spiral”, causing them to falsify their lives. Many people today reveal that they suffer incredible debt from trying to fund travel for the perfect picture for social media (Brown).
Social media not only affects the mental health of people, but can pose threats to people and relationships. Not only this, but false news is more likely to be spread. This is shown through social experiments, which are commonly filmed today and posted onto YouTube. Travis Scott, an American rapper, fell victim to an experiment. A man dressed up as him and photographed himself with a woman that did not look like Scott’s girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, a makeup mogul. The man spread the picture around, however this false story could have damaged the relationship (ProCon.org). This proves that little fact checking is done when reporting news on social media. Science, a research journal, published that the truth is six times less likely to be spread than false news. They also found that when false news is corrected, less people see it than the original content (ProCon.org). Another prominent issue with social media is a lack of privacy. Facebook is currently going through a scandal. The social media network has been selling user information and providing the government with user data. The government made 36,812 requests which Facebook complied with 80% of the time (ProCon.org). Websites and platforms like Facebook promise its users security and privacy. They promise its users that they cannot access their information. However, Facebook accessed and allowed companies and third-party apps to access the information it said it would not give out. In the act, Facebook was violating its own privacy policy without consent and did not proceed to inform any users of this violation. This kind of invasion of privacy is unexpected from a social media site and makes people feel unsafe.
However, social media does not only impose a negative impact on its users. Social media provides a safe place for many people who feel they cannot express themselves with people they know. We live in a day and age where people are more accepting of people’s differences than they were before. People who are not accepted for their differences, whether it be sexuality or gender, they find an online community which does. This helps people establish online friendships and helps bring their mood up (Kistner). It also allows for people to have their self-esteem brought up. People can comment on ones pictures with positive comments and also message them with positive messages (Kistner). While social media can spread false news fast, it also spreads true news. Not all news is reported on television. For example, the conflict between Israel and Palestine was not and is still not covered in the media, however, through social media, people are more aware of the conflict. Studies even show that 78% of people use social media to catch up on news (ProCon.org). This use of social media helped recently spread news of the Amazon forest burning. It is also helps improve relationships. “93% of adults on Facebook use it to connect with family members, 91% use it to connect with current friends, and 87% use it to connect with friends from the past” (ProCon.org). Instead of meeting in person, it is easier to send a text or share pictures with friends and family to stay in touch and connect. This is also the way I stay in touch with my family in the Dominican Republic. Seeing my family post on social media keeps me updated on them and even encourages me to call them. Sometimes one is too busy and forgets everything else, but seeing them online is a great reminder to check in every once in a while. Social media also assists people in finding jobs and internships, through Instagram ads, or otherwise. 96% of jobs recruit through social media networks such as Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter (ProCon.org). It also encourages face-to-face interactions. City College has many pages for its different organizations on Instagram. Following them allows me to keep up with updates on interesting events such as the upcoming Scarefest, club meetings, and any changes in scheduled events.
Social media also encourages change in society and politics. People are more aware of politics and share their opinion often. Many people are sharing their opinions on Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, who is severely unpopular.. As the next presidential election nears, and his possible reelection, people are encouraging others to vote to avoid his reelection. People are also very likely to vote if they see people they know have voted as well, in a survey conducted by the Refuel Agency’s college audience network, 35% of people voted that they were influenced by social media to vote (ProCon.org). On the topic of politics, many people are notified and encouraged to join protests in honor of occurrences that have happened. An example of this was after the Parkland shooting. Thousands registered to vote and millions protested all over the United States in hopes of changes in gun laws (ProCon.org). Social media is also important during emergencies. More than one third of governmental law professionals stated that they use social media to inform citizens of crises and emergencies. It is also useful for social media users, such as Facebook users, to message family members that they’re safe during times of crises. This includes natural disasters and attacks.
Social media influences cyberbullying, can damage relationships, and spreads false news. However, it helps people regain confidence, notifies people about real world problems, helps people stay in touch with others, and encourages social and political change. I closely side with the idea of social media being beneficial to people. These websites pose as positive influences in people’s lives. It gives users a safe space if they’re not offered one otherwise and makes them feel better about themselves. It also provides a place for people to engage with family and it generally helps relationships grow. I believe these overcome the negatives of social media because the positives encourage long term effects that influence our relationships with others, with ourselves, and in society. The negatives can easily be resolved by seeking help from an adult, blocking a person, or just doing more research about a topic. There are always disadvantages to something that is advantageous, in this case, the pros outweigh the cons.
Works Cited
Brown, Jessica. “Is Social Media Bad for You? The Evidence and the Unknowns – BBC Future.” BBC News, BBC, 4 Jan. 2018, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-you-the-evidence-and-the-unknowns.
Kistner, Bella. “Is Social Media Helping Or Hurting Society?” The Odyssey Online, The Odyssey Online, 1 Sept. 2016, https://www.theodysseyonline.com/is-social-media-helping-or-hurting-society.
ProCon.org. “Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society?” Social Networking, 17 Aug. 2018, https://socialnetworking.procon.org/.
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