The both side of social media.

DaxG...nhB2

26 Jan 2024

Social media in the long run have been a blessing to our generation and hopefully the next generations to come, but we must no neglect the negative impact of the social media on the society as well.

Hello Bulbers,
Today we are going to be diving into the positive and negative impact of the social media as we can see that the social media houses almost all the aspects of the society. These days almost everything can be seemed through the social media ,be it advise, jobs, pleasures, investments, career opportunities and so more.

With all the aforementioned, it could be deduced that the social media offers a hetrerogenous opportunities and wide range of things and people from all over the world. With this fact alone there would be positive and negative factors in place. Let's get to look at the positive and negative aspect of social media from experts:

Pros and Cons of Social Media

By Frances Dalomba:

Pros: Why is social media good?
Social media and technology offer us greater convenience and connectivity:

staying connected with family and friends worldwide via email, text, FaceTime, etc.
Quick access to information and research.
Banking and bill pay at our fingertips.
Online learning, job skills, content discovery (YouTube).
Involvement in civic engagement (fundraising, social awareness, provides a voice).
Great marketing tools.
Opportunities for remote employment.

Social media can be a good thing, but if teens ever feel uncomfortable about something they see or read on social, they should trust their own feelings and talk to someone – a parent, a teacher, or another trusted adult. Bullying, threats and cruelty on social media are all signs that the person doing those things needs help.

Cons:Why is social media bad?
Along with the good comes the bad. With all of its benefits, the nature of social media presents a range of potential issues.

Online vs Reality: Social media itself is not the problem. It is the way people use it in place of actual communication and in-person socializing. “Friends” on social media may not actually be friends, and may even be strangers.
Increased usage: The more time spent on social media can lead to cyberbullying, social anxiety, depression, and exposure to content that is not age appropriate.
Social Media is addicting: When you’re playing a game or accomplishing a task, you seek to do it as well as you can. Once you succeed, your brain will give you a dose of dopamine and other happiness hormones, making you happy. The same mechanism functions when you post a picture to Instagram or Facebook. Once you see all the notifications for likes and positive comments popping up on your screen, you’ll subconsciously register it as a reward. But that’s not all, social media is full of mood-modifying experiences.
Fear of Missing Out: FOMO has become a common theme, and often leads to continual checking of social media sites. The idea that you might miss out on something if you’re not online can affect your mental health.
Self-image issues: Social media sites provide tools that allow people to earn others’ approval for their appearance and the possibility to compare themselves to others. It can be associated with body image concerns. The “selfieholics” and people who spend most of their time posting and scrolling are the ones most vulnerable to this. In fact, most college girls who use Facebook at least five times a day are likely to link their self-worth to their looks. That doesn’t mean that the main problem is social media; it only provides a medium for it, which further elevates the problem. It also promotes the same sort of behavior to others.

THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

By kubbco:
1. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND STAYING CONNECTED: Social media can make it easy to find groups of like-minded people or make new friends. Finding a close-knit community can help us feel valued and accepted. Social media is also an easy way to nurture existing relationships with family and friends who have moved away. Send messages, share photos, call, or host video chats to stay in touch.

On social media, you can reach out to new connections and start developing relationships with them as well. Whether they live nearby or on the other side of the world, you can easily communicate and share content. This level of connectedness is a unique advantage of digital media.

2. FINDING YOUR VOICE: People of all ages can use social media to develop a platform with a larger audience than they’d have in any other setting. This can help individuals build confidence, gain new communication skills, and quickly spread positive and important messages. Take TikTok, for instance. Teens and young adults have successfully grown enormous platforms where their messages reach thousands or even millions of people regularly.

3. SHOWING EMPATHY AND KINDNESS:

People often share things online that are personal or that they’re struggling with. When you relate, you can show empathy by supporting and encouraging others through messages and comments. Show your friends (and even those you’ve never met) that you care about their situation and understand where they’re coming from. Seeing others work through tough times can also be inspiring and help us see things from a new perspective.

4. OFFERING SUPPORT:

You can use social media to raise awareness about a cause you believe in or support others who already do. You can also offer and receive support for the work you’re doing – whether it’s starting a new business, sharing photography, or writing poetry. Find others in your niche to connect with and share what you’ve learned.

5. BETTER COMMUNICATION:

Social media is known for bringing up new topics. While many conversations (or arguments) may seem too controversial and divisive, they can bring up important themes to discuss with people you care about and trust. You can also join groups for specific hobbies or industries to engage in discussions, learn, and grow.

6. SPREADING NEWS:

News from just about any part of the world can spread like wildfire on social media. While this can be overwhelming at times, it can also keep us in tune with important events. This can be an outstanding benefit if you need to get the word out fast about something. For example, if someone from a small town lost their dog, they could get the message out on social media. Everyone in the area could keep an eye out and report back with information instantly.
‍For Brands
‍B2C and B2B businesses should take full advantage of social media marketing. Various platforms – like Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram – are designed to help companies grow quickly. Here are some of the advantages of investing in social media as a business.

7. BUILDING A BUSINESS:

As a new business that wants to get the word out about your impressive offerings, you can use social media to build an interested audience. Share valuable content and establish a brand voice that resonates with your target consumers. Social media is also an excellent place for more established businesses to grow and sell through marketing and advertising.

8. ESTABLISHING AUTHORITY:

By sharing expert content and building relationships with individuals and other brands on social media, you’ll start building trust and authority. More and more people will spread the word about your great business and content.

9. DRIVING TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE:

If one of your goals for social media is to increase inbound traffic, you can share helpful content and advertise to send people straight to your website. By sharing more valuable content, you can boost traffic, leads, and sales. Through advertising, you can run campaigns that target your current audience or those with aligning goals.

THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

By Soniya Roy

1. Cyberbullying: Social media has enabled individuals to harass and bully others online. With the anonymity that social media provides, cyberbullies can harass people without facing any consequences. The victims of cyberbullying experience severe emotional stress, low self-esteem, and in some cases, even suicide.
2. Spread of misinformation: Social media has become a breeding ground for spreading false information. With fake news and rumors easily shared across various social media platforms, people are often misguided, leading to confusion, distrust, and chaos. The spread of misinformation can also harm democratic processes and public trust in institutions.

3. Addiction: Social media addiction is a real problem that many people are facing. With easy access to social media apps and platforms, people tend to spend a lot of time online, often ignoring their real-life responsibilities. This addiction can lead to a lack of productivity, depression, and anxiety.

4. The decline in face-to-face communication: With the rise of social media, people are becoming less inclined to interact in person. Social media is convenient, but it can lead to a decline in social skills and emotional intelligence, making it hard for people to develop deep and meaningful relationships.

5. Self-esteem issues: Social media often portrays an idealized and unrealistic version of people's lives, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. People tend to compare their lives with others and become dissatisfied with their own. This can lead to a lack of confidence and poor mental health.

6. Social isolation: Social media can make it easy for people to connect with others, but it can also lead to social isolation. People tend to spend more time online than in person, leading to feelings of loneliness and social disconnection.

7. Polarization and echo chambers: Social media algorithms reinforce existing biases and create "echo chambers," where people only see content that confirms their existing beliefs. This can lead to polarization and a lack of open-mindedness, ultimately leading to an unhealthy society.

8. Cyberstalking and harassment: The anonymity of social media makes it easy for individuals to stalk and harass others online. Cyberstalking and harassment can be traumatizing for victims and can lead to severe legal consequences for the perpetrators.

9. Decrease in privacy: Social media platforms collect vast amounts of personal data, which can be sold to third-party companies or used for targeted advertising. This can lead to a decrease in privacy, and people's personal information can be misused by others.

10. Comparison and envy: Social media often encourages people to compare themselves with others, leading to feelings of envy and dissatisfaction. This can harm mental health and well-being and can lead to depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders.

Conclusion:

The social media has it ups and downs but with a growing world like ours and the emergence of artificial intelligence, the social media will bring more good as well as bad. Making things easier will also make things different. So the social media will always bring positive and negative impacts, it would be our choice to know that which will lead us to a profitable future.