Social Media is a tool created mainly for information dissemination and communication, but over the years, it has served so many purposes, while information transmission still remains the core usage
Social Media serves more than just dishing out information, it serves as a source of entertainment, mode of interaction and it has also brought about a shift in the cultural view of the world.
Although it makes everything easier nowadays, it may not always be a good thing. Sometimes, information needs to be censored for certain people in certain circumstances. This article takes you through the effects social media has had in today’s world.
Positive Influence of Social Media
- Social media has made everyone in this modern age have access to information easily, and at the same time, democratizes information, making people in charge of their own experience.
- Social Media fosters international relations easily, it is as simple as “Direct Messaging” to get through to anybody in the world, it is so much easier now with the advent of social media.
- Social Media is an avenue for creatives, artistes, business owners to get to their target audience fast and effectively, it requires little to no cost too.
- Social Media enables social interaction, it makes families and small communities relate well even without being physically present together, and it fosters communal and cordial relationships between people and groups.
- Social Media has been the driving force of activism in recent times, and this has made huge reforms in policies, and has in turn made the world a better place for everyone.
- Social Media has had a huge role in the shift in culture norms and values, the “Gen Z” culture in this age has been mainly driven by the advent of social media.
Negative Effect of Social Media
- Misinformation; the same way it is very easy to get useful information on social media is the exact same way it is easy to get wrong and very convincing information, fake news perpetrators find social media as a very useful tool to disseminate fake news.
- Social Media has little to no censorship on some information being put on it, there is no limit to the information being put on social media, and it makes some people exposed to information they are not exposed to (e.g. Infants exposed to pornography)
- Increase in cyber bullying and online harassment has increased the mental health concerns in the society, and this has made many people fall into depression just because of what they see online or what people perceive of them on social media platforms.
- Digital addiction is another pressing issue which social media seems to have caused; social media is an addictive tool, and a high percentage of the world population has their eyes glued to their screen, scrolling on social media, and this has so many health effects like eye defects, obesity etc.
- Privacy has turned into a myth ever since social media has been the order of the day, there has been little to no privacy in people’s lives, just because everyone feels the need to put their entire lives online.
Social Media has been impactful in the cultural shift, in policy reforms, it has served people better in many ways and still has the tendency to do more as it advances, but it has its own downside, which, if avoided, can do greater things for the society more than it has ever done.
