Positive and Negative Influences Of Social Media

Social media is the fastest and most impactful means of communication. No matter where you are, you can talk to an individual or a people who are on the other side of the world in real-time. Today, you don’t call as many people in a day as you WhatsApp. This is because the service is instant and free. But, apart from the communication aspect, social media and networking platforms are used for various other purposes by different individuals, to achieve different objectives. However, these objectives are not always beneficial for everyone.

Take a look at the good and bad effects of social media on society and people-

Positive influences of social media

Social media is not just used by common people to communicate. Today, governments use platforms like Twitter to share details about their initiatives with people and take their feedback. This helps in creating a more transparent, and responsive government. Brands use Facebook, Instagram, and other networking sites to advertise their products and offers. With the power of the internet, these ads specifically target people who have shown interest in similar products. This results in maximized sales and cost-effective marketing for the brands.

Another major attraction of social media is that it lets people see what their favorite celebrities are doing. They follow diets, clothing, and lifestyle as shown on their idols’ timelines.

Negative influences of social media

Even with everything good that social media brings, it also does bad for the users. Over-using social networking sites is listed among the top reasons for numerous psychological conditions. These include unhealthy sleeping pattern, and negative self-image that arises from constantly looking at people with “better” physique and life. People develop unrealistic expectations of life by looking at others’, and later encounter anxiety and depression when their expectations go unfulfilled.

Another major issue that is tackled by those who use social media too much is that people (usually from opposite gender) get obsessed with them. Most teens like telling everyone where they are and what they are doing. Such posts assist a stalking behavior that is potentially dangerous.

Every good thing has a bad side, which is brought out by the people themselves. Social media, being the force that it is, amplifies both types of uses. This makes it crucial to monitor the behavior of the users of all social networking platforms. Along with this, it is important to educate people to use social media constructively.