Social Media by Waimihi Room 1

Social Media

“There are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’: illegal drugs and software” -Edward Tufte, the Social Dilemma.

 Social media has both negatives and positives, but it is still a very complicated thing. The main reason people use social media is to contact friends but despite that social media is still used for bad things such as terrorism and cyberbullying.

There are quite a lot of negatives in social media. Studies have shown that social media is not very beneficial for mental health, it is known to cause depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-image issues, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts. Social media is very addictive. You might just have a quick look on Instagram to see how your friends are doing, but then you can’t seem to put down the phone! Social anxiety is another bad thing caused by social media. Getting used to only interacting online means you might feel very uncomfortable socializing in real life. Of course, another huge problem is cyberbullying! This is probably the most talked about problem on social media. Exposure to inappropriate content is another negative. Terrorism has even happened on social media! On social media people are different compared to how they act in real life, and it isn’t exactly reliable.

Now, there are many cons to do with social media but there are also pros. For instance, social media is a great place to share thoughts, feelings, opinions and emotions with the community and people you trust. Keeping up with news and current events is very important and connects people. It forms meaningful relationships. Being social is important. People who are unable to leave their house need to stay social or they could die of boredom. Social media is being social but online. Also, everyone needs a laugh. Memes and GIFs on social media are absolutely hilarious.

Whatsapp, Tumblr, Instagram, discord, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, Facebook, TikTok and Messenger are all types of social media. According to studies, 42% of people use social media to contact friends and family, 39% use it to fill up spare time, 37% use it to find funny/entertaining content, 34% use it for general networking with others, 33% use it because their friends use it, 32% use it to share videos and images, 29% use it to research new products to buy and 27% use it to meet new people. Social media is also used for blogging. Businesses benefit from social media to advertise their products

We may still have stuff like terrorism and cyberbullying on Social Media, but at least we have music, blogs, GIFs and memes. You can’t create something good and useful without a few negatives. Maybe one day when social media is old and wrinkled, perhaps people will stop using it.