

Social media has been detrimental to the individual and society because, it has become invasive, has been known to spread false news as well as create mental issues and communication barriers, therefore social media should be seen as medicine, use only when needed and use with caution.  Although social media can boost self-esteem, raise awareness for causes such as cancer research, spread news, and keep people connected, it has been known to cause depression, anxiety, and has become the grounds for bullying and predation.  Social media is also notorious for popularity contests spurring from who gets the most likes and comments on a post.  In a survey, ninety-six percent of females and seventy-six percent of males admitted that social media was one big popularity contest (Chityala).  This is just one example of how social media like medicine, can lead to addiction.  If someone is having to constantly check and post to get more likes and comments as well as accepting follow/friend requests from total strangers can show how addicting a harmful this can be and it can lead to anxiety.  Anxiety can lead to issues with being able to communicate face to face by creating nervousness and it has always been easier to write or type something out then to say it.  A lack of communication, like anxiety can lead to depression because as humans, we need human interaction.  Social media is a good way to communicate and interact, but not in the way we need in order to fulfill our needs as humans.  Social media is also good about many other things such as spreading news, but not all news on social media can be perceived as valid or viable.  It is no secret that false news is on the rise which is another reason why to take caution while on social media, another reason could be to look out for predators as well as cyberbullies.  There have been reports of cyberbullying leading to depression and other reports on predators who have been gathering info and sometimes even a location on an individual.  These dangers and reasons are just some that emphasize the importance of using social media cautiously and in small doses.

To expand further, there are many things to consider before fully understanding why something that seems so harmless could be so harmful.  For instance, social media has become quite invasive in the lives of many people.  For starters, social media sites ask for personal information as well as preferences.  Some social media sites allow users to add a location and can be posted to a map for anybody to see and sometimes it provides specific locations.  Another way that social media has become too invasive is through marketing strategies.  They are collecting private information about us and targeting it back towards us as ads and entertainment to buy their products (Puhl).  Have you ever been online shopping or searched for a certain product and see an ad for it later on Facebook or Instagram, maybe even YouTube?  Some media outlets go as far as researching an individual to see if they are a considerable target for marketing or a waste of time and then create personal profiles of those they can market to (Turow).  This has become out of hand and is increasing by the minute; more and more ads are coming up in social media and is holding a prominent place among media outlets.  There is no comfort in knowing that media outlets created for fun is gathering information on users for personal gain.  These very invasions of privacy are just minute reasons to take caution when approaching social media.

Now of course there are other dangers that come along with social media; cyber-bullying and predation are just two more side effects.  Bullying is already in issue in schools and in real life and has expanded from occurring in general public spaces and traveling into homes through social media.  It has been reported that twenty-five percent of teenagers report repeated cyber bullying attacks, 52 percent of young people get cyber-bullied, 11 percent of young people have had damaging/hurtful photos taken without knowing or consent, of the young people online one third report receiving threats, 10 percent of adolescents are on the receiving end of hate terms, fifty-five percent of adolescents witness online bullying, ninety-five percent of those witnesses never report it, more than half surveyed do not notify their parents of being cyberbullied, one out of six parents know of cyberbullying to an extent, and victims of cyberbullying are more likely to experience low self-esteem and consider suicide (N/A).  These statistics alone can only accommodate the reported cases of cyberbullying and speak for itself.  Cyberbullying only became a problem through social media outlets and by not paying closer attention to its users.  Another danger that is introduced on social media is predation.  Predation usually occurs through what is now known as catfishing.  Catfishing is an instant in which people will create fake profiles and lure people in with fake persona.  This can lead to mental issues for the person being catfished and in some instances it has led to others getting hurt and sometimes murdered.  Predation also occurs because people are allowing total strangers to follow them in order to get more followers and likes and by allowing them to follow, they can use maps and locations to kidnap or harm an individual.  All in all, why do social media outlets conduct thorough research to gather information for marketing, but doesn’t filter out cyberbullying, catfishing, or predation?

Now, don’t get me wrong social media has many upsides to it; after all, it was created to be a fun way to communicate and keep in touch with friends and others.  Social media has also become a place where people raise awareness for great causes and charities.  In fact, forty-seven percent of Americans learn about charities and causes through social media (Nonprofit Tech for Good).  Many people actually choose to post and like other posts to show support for charities.  Another way social media can be a positive influence is through getting likes and positive comments left on a post (Wallace).  A thirteen-year old girl in New York says that she feels confidence when she receives positive comments and lots of likes on a post (Wallace).  Social media has also allowed business to expand and promote business and people have been able to reach out and keep in touch.  Social media has also set up platforms of communication through direct messaging and video chats, but it doesn’t really accommodate for face to face communication.

One in four people have been found to do more socializing through social media versus face to face contact (Fowlkes).  One in four people is twenty-five percent of people in our society turning to social media instead of the person next to them.  Think about the last time that you have entered into a classroom or other public space such as a lobby or restaurant and think of how many people you see on their phone instead of interacting with the person next them.  In the now generation it is becoming more of an appeal to have a short, sweet, and to the point update on their couch or on their way to complete errands instead of a prolonged engagement between two friends.  When is the last time anyone can think to a conversation in person that lasted more than five, ten, even maybe twenty minutes?  Humans are naturally interactive beings and need face to face interaction in order to survive and social media has created a drift from our natural self.  It has caused us to forget how meaningful an in-person conversation can be and it is causing younger and younger people to lose important communication skills.  Another reason that in person communication is so vital is because we need to see body language and facial cues in order to fully grasp the meaning behind emotions and to indulge in the tone of a conversation.  How often do we find ourselves in a state of confusion from a text, even with emojis?  Keller-Fay’s TalkTrack research study also suggests that 90% of the influential conversations that we have every day happen offline, while only 8% are online (Fowlkes).  It is harder to create a strong bond with someone when all we do to communicate is press our fingers to a screen and hit send versus creating memories in person and having conversations.  It’s just natural to want to be social and engaged, it is unnatural to do that with a phone or laptop.  How many memories does one remember with someone on social media versus memories made with friends in person?  

Seeing as how more and more people are choosing to communicate via social media, it seems that rumors, gossip, and fake news is not too far behind.  Fake news has started many upsets and has come to cause much confusion and conflict within our society.  It is easy to see a story and believe it, if the evidence seems plausible enough although it may not come from a credible source.  With all the uproar fake news is causing, some countries such as Germany are looking to issue fines of fifty million euros (fifty-three million USD), on sites that fail to delete or diminish false stories and illegal posts (Chazan).  Fake news was also notorious for spreading so many different stories of different proportions throughout the election as well which led to much uproar and confusion.  It is easy to see headlines and think of them and the contents of the article as true although they are filled with falsehoods.  This issue of fake news is that most people on social media are teenagers and are lacking in real life experiences which makes it easy to persuade or take advantage of in spreading ideals.  When most of their free time and sometimes life revolves around the time they spend on social media, it is easy to start trusting everything that is being presented.  It is also leading to more and more producing their own versions of stories without even fact checking what they are bound to post and the cycle continues.  When fake news is produced it splits the population of readers into the ones who believe it and those who don’t which leads to further conflict and contentions online which is dividing more and more people.  It is kind of ironic that social media was created to connect people and is tearing people apart by allowing the production of fake news to take place.  

Between fake news, cyber-bullying, and the lack of communication, it can allow people to feel disconnected and anxious.  Anxiety has become increasingly prevalent in our society and individuals due to the presence of social media.  For instance, how many times a day do you find yourself checking your phone for updates?  How many times do you feel the need to see what other people are doing?  Does it make you feel left out when you don’t check your phone regularly?  All of these feelings of getting left out and the constant worrying and nervousness from not checking a phone is linked to anxiety.  As humans we want to be included and as an individual, we don’t want to miss out on anything which is why social media becomes so addicting (Anxiety).  There are studies showing that people with anxiety are more likely to use social media to begin with because of the fear of being left out and unknowing of what is going on and that as they continue to use it, they become more anxious and addicted (Anxiety).  The University of Chicago has also found studies that found that social media is more addicting than cigarettes and that it is a much harder habit to break because there are no life threatening diseases at stake and it is linked with anxiety which is hard to overcome (Goessl).  This being said, if not taken in small doses, social media can create a mental hold and cause issues with anxiety.

Anxiety is just one mental disorder linked to social media, depression is another.  When people look at other profiles and see them off doing adventures and compare it to a mundane task that they as an individual may post about it can cause someone to feel insignificant.  Other times when there is a presence of cyber-bullying, it can cause the victim to feel isolated and alone due to the fact that nobody is standing up for them, or they feel like they can’t tell anyone, or because it is more public than that of being bullied in person.  It is hard to be able to shake feelings of isolation and anxiety from not being able to check a phone or to get bullied or not get as many likes or comments on a picture; maybe even seeing people going to parties or weddings that one may not have been invited too can increase the feelings that ultimately lead to depression.  Now keep in mind that as humans we will all face to depression or depressive states which is why it is best to find ways to steer clear of things that can lead to that.  Depression is serious and can be linked to anxiety because of the feelings of being disconnected and wanting to be alone or not talk to others.  For instance, how many of us can go a day of not checking our phones and not going on to feel alone or isolated?  It is hard simply because we have relied so heavily on social media that it has led us to depressive states sometimes in minor or major ways.  In a study conducted by the University of Missouri, research showed that users who would check to see how their friends were put them into depressive states (Liu).  Honestly how often do we compare ourselves to others?  How often do we compare ourselves to others while using social media?

Social media is a medicine that can have positive effects such as connecting with others and being able to communicate from the comfort of our own home.  Social media allows us to get updates on sporting events, news, award shows, and keep up with the world.  Social media can also build self-esteem through receiving likes and positive comments from other followers.  Social media has also worked to raise money for several causes.  Charities have been able to spread word and get far more support from the use of social media as a whole.  People have been able to use social media to market for their companies and expand their businesses.  While all of these things are great, it doesn’t change the fact that there are several side effects that urge us to use in small doses and to use with caution.  If one is witnessing cyber-bullying, predation, feeling anxious or depressed, getting confused through false news, lacking in communication skills, or experience feelings of invasiveness, then it is probably best to reconsider the use of or the way one uses social media.
