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Positive and Negative Impacts Of Social Media On Our Lives

Positive and Negative Impacts Of Social Media On Our Lives
What is the significant impact of social media on our lives? Is it bad for us? How does it affect our health? What’s its impact on our social lives? Over the years, the internet and mobile technology have played important roles in communication. With the help of these innovations, we can easily connect with our loved ones anywhere at any time. According to a study from the New York Times Consumer, people love to share information on social media to entertain others, nourish relationships, and define themselves. Some people like to build good images to demonstrate who they are and what they stand for. Through social media, we can easily participate in important events that are happening in the world. However, studies have shown that too much use of social media can be pretty damaging to our well-being. Some people, especially young kids and teens, experience cyber-bullying. Therefore, it is essential to know how to set limits in using social media. In this article, we will learn the positive and negative impacts of social media on our social lives.

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Facebook How Social Media Affects Our Lives 1

What Are the Negative Impacts of Social Media on Our Lives?

  • It can trigger our sadness.

Can social media increase sorrow and depression? Yes, it can. New research has revealed that social media has significant effects on our mental health. But the question is, if social media is designed to bring us closer to other people, then why is it bad for our mental health? It is because too much social media can activate social comparison. People will start comparing their lives with other people. We can also feel the fear of missing out, also known as FOMO. According to Amy Summerville, a psychology professor at Miami University, FOMO can create significant issues in social standing. It allows us to gaze into what our friends and families are doing. We might feel that we are being excluded from their activities and gatherings. We are always on standby for the next notification, too attached to our gadgets, and no longer mindful about the people that we are with. This behavior is not a good thing. It can create intense anxiety, stress, and even depression.

  • It allows us to compare our lives with others.

Social media is bombarded with images of perfection. You can see perfect bodies, perfect faces, perfect families, and relationships everywhere. We are exposed to images that portray photoshopped and cosmetically-altered bodies. According to a psychologist, these images bring high levels of displeasure in our own bodies. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat allow people to gather their own number of likes, comments, and reposts. This feature might lead people to earn approval from others and think about their social belonging. It can also leave some people feeling down about their lives. Plus, it can be misleading, and they will believe that these images, likes, and comments are the basis of reality. Our social media feeds can either make us feel better or worse than our friends in real life. These comparisons can be depressing and make people feel worse and ungrateful with what they have.

  • It is addictive.

According to a study by Mediakix, people spend two hours a day on social media. It means that we spend more time on social media than we do on drinking, eating, and even socializing. Another study from SmartInsights revealed that all social media users worldwide publish 3.3 million Facebook posts, 65,972 Instagram photos, and 448,800 tweets per minute! Truth to be told, it’s getting harder to put our phones down every day. No one knows what the future holds. Therefore, these numbers can grow more prominent in the next few years. So, why is social media addictive? With the rise of high-tech mobile phones and internet capabilities, accessing social media is easier wherever we go, regardless of what we are doing. Thanks to social media, we can instantly share our outfit, who we are with, and what we are eating.

  • The “Like” Button

Relatively, any social media users are now driven by the number of “likes”. They get addicted to receiving “likes” from several people. For example, when you post your travel photo on Facebook, you will feel the need to gather positive affirmation through the number of people who liked your photo. Your primary intention is to show people what you are doing and gather “likes”. You will frequently check your account to see new people who liked your photo. While this feature does not contribute positively to a user’s mental health, it certainly a good marketing strategy for businesses. Several brands worldwide are spending hundreds of dollars per year to reach millions of customers.

  • It can bring jealousy.

Social media can help us capture and share every moment. Every time you log on to Facebook, you can see your friends’ updated photo albums with their latest adventures and achievements in life. You might also see your friends getting married or enjoying a beautiful and stable job. You can also see some photos of happy couples feeding each other spaghetti. Therefore, it is no shock that several social media users are jealous of their friends online. Research has shown that social media can be a source of jealousy, unhappiness, stress, for observers and posters alike. Here are some of the common social media jealousy:
  1. Dream jobs
Everyone has their own dream jobs. Nowadays, several people opted to choose a career that can only pay the bills. Let’s be real. It’s hard to pursue our dream jobs because of the required skills. It’s difficult to land in a dream job. Therefore, several people will settle for the available opportunity. Your dream job can be one of the social media jealousy, especially when you see your classmate enjoying the job that you like.
  1. Travel
Seeing your friends traveling to different countries can make you feel envy. But if you are also fond of traveling, you must find a way to budget and save your money. All travelers must main and keep a budget so you can go to different places each year.

What Are the Positive Impacts of Social Media on Our Lives?

  • It gives us an opportunity for open communication.

Social media can allow us to communicate with artists, politicians, and other influencers. It can also build stronger relationships with the people around us. With social media, we can easily connect with role models, mentors, colleagues, and professionals. It can open new opportunities and professional guidance. Moreover, social media can be a way to share our expertise. It allows us to share our skills, achievements, and experience. If you share your content in social media, you can build good credibility and online presence. Plus, you can also interact with people who have the same interests.

  • It spreads social awareness and kindness.

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Facebook How Social Media Affects Our Lives 2 What is the role of social media in social awareness? Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the best mode of communication nowadays. These platforms offer broadcasting techniques to build the ideal environment for people’s interaction. It can allow every person to share ideas. Once we posted information online, it can reach thousands of people in a few hours or even minutes. People from distant can know what is happening from other places. Therefore, several social care organizations utilize social media to spread their agendas and awareness worldwide. Some of them d charity work for less fortunate people. Through social awareness online, people can easily support charity work wherever they are. They can also raise funds quickly. Everyone can easily access Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Therefore, many people can acquire any news instantly in just a few clicks.

  • It can allow us to learn new skills.

Nowadays, money is difficult to earn, especially when you don’t have enough expertise. Fortunately, several social media platforms can help you broaden your talent and learn new skills. They offer free tutorials online. You no longer have to enroll at a university to master anything. It can be a great addition to your income sources, too. Online education tools have helped several people to build their skills and create meaningful changes in their lives. You can join live classes on Facebook. These classes have professional instructors and entrepreneurs that can help you achieve your goals. Nowadays, YouTube has several eLearning videos that improve the transmission of knowledge to kids. These videos are an excellent way to explain topics to children. With YouTube, children do not have to spend money to learn history. They can simply watch it online and share it with their friends. Since visuals are more effective among children, YouTube can help both teachers and parents to make learning more accessible and more comfortable. Children give more attention compared to story-telling and traditional teaching methods.

  • It can save lives.

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Facebook How Social Media Affects Our Lives 3 Social media has a vital role in crises and emergencies, too. When something unfortunate happens, people must know immediately. We have to know that our loved ones and we are safe. Connecting with them through social media can be an effective way to talk to them and the authorities. Nowadays, checking our social media have become an addition to our morning routine. We review what is trending worldwide. We also receive news stories about disasters, accidents, and other emergencies around the globe. There is only one reason why social media can help us save lives during disasters and calamities: People are very active in social media. They can quickly alert the authorities when something terrible occurs. A few years ago, a piece of news broke out about employers in Saudi Arabia who withheld back wages and salaries of over 10,000 Indian workers due to falling oil prices. A businessman named Imran Khohkar tweeted Sushma Swaraj, India’s foreign minister, about this situation with a photograph of 800 starving Indian workers. This simple tweet has alerted the Indian government and distributed 16 tons of food right away. Swaraj keeps everyone updated using Twitter. He assures that the starving employees are taken care of. This is an excellent example that social media has the power to save lives.

How to Avoid Fake News on Social Media?

Fake news is everywhere. They distort the truth and seeks adverse reactions from people. Plus, they provide hoaxes, propaganda, and satire. Therefore, you must only rely on reliable resources, including newspapers, televisions, and radio. How does “fake news” affect us? Truth to be told, fake news can deceive people easily. It can confuse people and push a dangerous political agenda. With social media, it can be difficult to tell if the story you have read is credible or not. Here are some of the types of fake news that can mislead you:

  • Clickbait

A clickbait contains headlines that can grab your attention quickly. Some publishers provide clickbait to gain more page visitors and increase their advertising revenue. Example: Supermodels apply these three simple tricks to achieve smooth skin. Click here to know what they are

  • Satire/Parody

Satire is all about foolishness, irony, sarcasm, and ridicule. It exposes and criticizes people’s issues and stupidity. Most satire news makes fun of an organization or a person. Its purpose is not only to inform but also to entertain. With satire news, people pay more attention to social issues. They tend to think about what’s happening around the world while being entertained. Example: “Did Kylie Jenner Get a Breast Surgery? Why Am I Being Paid to Write About This Stuff?”

  • Propaganda

Propaganda promotes a biased perspective on politics. Publishers aim to help a particular political cause against an enemy. Example: “Latest News: Obama Promises Amnesty to Any Illegal That Votes Democrat”

  • Sloppy Journalism

Sloppy Journalism can occur when journalists did not take thorough research about a particular topic. They provide stories with unreliable information without double-checking the facts. It usually misleads several people nowadays. Example: When a Facebook Page published a US Election Day Guide that tells the voters to avail claim a voter registration ticket. But in real life, it is not required to vote in the U.S. elections.

Conclusion

Too much usage of social media is bad for us. It can bring adverse effects on our physical and mental health. It can also change our perception of the world and ourselves. If you notice that social media has negative impacts on your social life, you have to start practicing spending less time with it every day. You have to learn how to balance your real-life and social media relationships. Make time to disconnect from the online world and enjoy the real world out there. We hope this article gave you enough understanding of social media. Always remember that social media is only to keep in touch with people who live far away from us. Frequently viewing your acquaintances’ posts can provoke social comparison that can harm your well-being. We must use social media in moderation. This way, it can continuously enhance our social lives and self-image.   Match with people nearby and discover local events based on similar interests. Make friends and keep meetups near you safe by leaving references. Download our app from Google Play or Apple Store. Today is a good day to make friends and expand your circle.  
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