Social Media or Social Disease?

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

You may still be wondering, why social media?  

‘‘Social networks are one of the fastest growing industries in the world’’.  

This statement does seem to be thrown around quite frequently with anything internet marketingrelated these days. However with a projected 25.0% annual growth over the next 5 years, it is definitely be time to start investing in social media if you haven’t already.
There is a lack of civil discourse and cooperation on social media, as well as widespread distribution of misinformation and mistruth, according to Palihapitiya.

"It's not an American problem," he said. "This is not about Russians ads. This is a global problem."

Good and Bad Social Media

Some people feel bad after using social media, but others do not, wrote Facebook Director of Research David Ginsberg and Research Scientist Moira Burke.

"According to the research, it really comes down to how you use the technology," they said.

"For example, on social media, you can passively scroll through posts, much like watching TV, or actively interact with friends -- messaging and commenting on each other's posts," Ginsberg and Burke pointed out.

"Just like in person, interacting with people you care about can be beneficial, while simply watching others from the sidelines may make you feel worse," they explained.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

We are now trying to communicate to people who are continents apart and, in the process, are neglecting the people who are physically present next to us.  Relationships are breaking and trusting souls are disappearing.

Cyber bullying is a major threat to the minds of the young. It is fueled by social media and can leave a devastating scar on the brain of the victim.

Death of creativity and birth of inactivity is another aftermath of social media usage. Kids, instead of playing cricket and painting, are consumed into Facebook and the likes.

It is the cause for distraction of students and employees alike, leading to decreased productivity. A ping on whatsapp or a message on Facebook is irresistible to old and young alike. A few minutes of Instagram night before an important exam can be devastating! It leads to a terrible kind of addiction that slowly eats up the individual. Eye sight loss, migraines and increased anxiety issues are just the beginning. I’d quote Shannon L. Alder here, “An open Facebook page is simply a psychiatric dry erase board that screams, “Look at me. I am insecure. I need your reaction to what I am doing, but you’re not cool enough to be my friend. Therefore, I will just pray you see this because the approval of God is not all I need.”

This can lead to serious security breaches in our lives and can destroy is, if misused. A simple rumor can ruin our reputation. Personal data can be obtained by hacking or phishing by criminals. A number of frauds and scams have taken place due to social media.

Social media has also been a cause of death. Over use is one thing, but copying stunts shared by other users takes stupidity to a whole new level- a level where one can lose his life. It also glamorizes drugs and alcohol. Habits such as smoking and drinking have been glorified using social media in the past. Adolescents are trapped into these circles and ruin their lives.

Wellness Through Better New Feeds

For example, it has started demoting clickbait headlines and false news, and prioritizing posts from people users care about to foster more meaningful interactions and reduce passive consumption of low-quality content.

It also added a "snooze" feature allowing users to hide posts from a person, group or page for 30 days.

Take a Break is another tool designed to remove stressful content. It gives users more control over when they see an ex-partner, what their ex can view, and who can look at past posts about the relationship.

In addition, the company has launched several suicide prevention initiatives, the Facebook researchers wrote.

Facebook has invested US$1 million toward research to better understand the relationship between media technologies, youth development and well-being, they added.

Two Sides to Interaction

"It can extend out social interactions to times and places when we wouldn't otherwise be able to interact with each other," she told TechNewsWorld.

"Usually to interact with people, you need to be in proximity to each other," North explained. "Social media allows us to be together even when we are physically apart."

"That can interfere with people interacting more personally," North said.

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Whole world is well connected to every other part of it now. Children can now connect with their aunts and uncles in India while they themselves are in America. Long lost childhood friends can be reunited with, thanks to social networks.

You can share files, videos, GIFs, pictures and a lot more on social networking sites.

Social networking have given introverts their break. AnyOne can now speak their mind openly without any hesitation about filthy grimaces by friends and enemys. And of course you can check on your crush’s information by just clicking the right buttons on social media. Also, sharing information on social media can help anyone receive much needed help.

All materials needed for assignment s and various education Al purposes can be easily shared amongst students with the help of these. Social media has made distant courses very easy to attend. Online distant education systems have helped literal a lot of people over the last decade. Enhancement of knowledge is a definite merit of social media.

Social networks have helped boost business.  One can post on the Facebook and reach a hundred, sometimes a million people at the same time. Likes and dislikes of the general public can be assessed easily by marketing companies. Due to social media article writers, Bloggers and content creators have freedom to express their forms of art in an unrestricted environment. It helps people develop better perspectives and reviews about current issues. Ideologies can be shared freely now.

Advantages of leaving social media

No it’s not just about freeing up time and improving productivity.

Quitting social media can go to the core of your emotions. It can transform your life.

quitting social media can transform your life

1) You’ll become more confident

One thing which really held me back with my blog and writing was that I (ironically) had a fear of sharing my blog posts. I was scared of being criticized or laughed at. As such, I always hesitated to share my posts.

Perhaps it was just me. But I support that if you remove or delete your online identity and virtual world from your real life, you can actually be freed as you start to focus on everything else in your life. It’s this liberation that’d allow you to focus on other areas in your life.

2) You won’t see a need to validate yourself online anymore

I totally believe that a lot of people have been struck by a need to validate themselves online . This is when people’s confidence and even their self-esteem are gauged by the number of likes, shares and followers they have.

It’s subconscious even as they rely on this social currency. Face it, you know that on some level this is true.

If you quit social media, you can be transformed as you start to validate yourself with real-world things, like passion, health, fitness and even money.

And both you and I know that focusing on them would make the real difference.

3) Your mood can improve

You have to agree with me on this. No matter how many friends you have online, there’s always a thorn among the roses sticking out like a parasite.

And the time comes when people start sharing depressing news or unwanted stupid videos depicting vulgarity or violence.

I’m not saying not seeing these disturbing shares would mean they aren’t there, but why give yourself a visual? Why let such negativity cloud your mind? The world has its shortcomings already. You don’t need a visual.

4) You’ll see your friends in a new light

I once saw a share from a friend who commented “This guy’s kid looks retarded and has down syndrome.”

I was disappointed he’d use such derogatory terms. Yet, he’s a decent guy and I know he’s a nice person.

5) You’ll be more aware of your surroundings

Leaving social media and online identity effectively means getting rid of the mobile application s and mental stress.

When you’re out going out, you’re not going repeatedly checking your phone for updates. You’ll then of course, start to look around and enjoy with your eyes. When was the last time you did that?

Becoming more aware of your own  surroundings and environment can be an amazing thing to help leading you a good and prosperous life. It may sound cheesy, but the new little things you can discover around you can go a long way.