Social media is a relatively new phenomenon and since its inception has seen tremendous growth. It has become a daily part of life for many people. With the current covid 19 restrictions, the use of social media has spiked as more people are spending time away from each other as well as being indoors. Facebook saw a 27% spike in site traffic and TikTok saw a 15.4% spike in usage since the start of the pandemic. The growing use of social media amplifies its negative effects.
Social media has connected us in a way that hasn't been seen before. Users share their lives all over social media, typically posting their highlights. On platforms like Facebook and Instagram in particular, there is a tendency for people to show only a filtered version of their lives. Because of this, people compare their lives to a false standard. This, coupled with the increased time being spent on social media instead of having deep empathetic interactions can lead to depression.
The increase in the suicide rate is partially attributed to social media. In children, suicide rates have doubled from 2008 to 2015. Prosuicide behavior is rampant on social media. Chat rooms found on the internet discuss ways to commit suicide, encourage it, and even sometimes forming suicide pacts. Depression is normalized on social media with things like memes and jokes being made about it. Cyberbullying is made easier by social media. The University of Alberta conducted a study that highlighted the effects of social media on bullying. 23% of teens reported being targeted for bullying and 15% said they had bullied someone on social media. The disconnect for bullies between them and the person they are bullying through social media makes it easier as there aren't any direct consequences.
Another point of concern with social media is the use of deceit. Paul J. Zak observed during his study finding that people will lie like crazy to impress someone. A big use of deceit on social media is for adults to pick up underage kids. Social media allows predators to alienate themselves from their behavior. This allows them to find more prey more easily and make attempts more frequent as the same burdens of lying and confrontation in person are not present.
Social media has been able to connect us like never before. The negatives of social media, however, are often overlooked. Social media is a powerful tool, but there are dangers with its increasing use, especially with the current pandemic limiting social contact. Balance is needed to keep a healthy emotional state, so moderating social media usage is important. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology said limiting use of social media to 30 minutes a day can lead to a healthier individual. If you are struggling with any of the issues or issues similar, it is good to reach out to trusted individuals and find help.
Bibliography
Zak, Paul J. The Moral Molecule: the Source of Love and Prosperity. Dutton, 2013.
The Moral Molecule is about Mr. Zak's research into how oxytocin evolved for one purpose, pair bonding and attachment in social mammals but how it also has the effect of creating a sense of trust among strangers.
Koeze, Ella, and Nathaniel Popper. “The Virus Changed the Way We Internet.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 7 Apr. 2020,
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html.
New York Times article analyzing how being stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic has affected internet usage and the way the internet is being used.
Caroline Miller is the editorial director of the Child Mind Institute. “Does Social Media Cause
Depression?” Child Mind Institute, 11 June 2020,
childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-depression/.
Article by Caroline Miller exploring the different theories on why and how social media causes depression.
Chuck, Elizabeth. “Is Social Media Contributing to Rising Teen Suicide Rate?” NBCNews.com,
NBCUniversal News Group, 22 Oct. 2017,
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/social-media-contributing-rising-teen-suicide-rate-n81
2426.
NBC news article about the effects of social media on teen suicide rates surrounding the suicide of Sadie Riggs.
Luxton, David D, et al. “Social Media and Suicide: a Public Health Perspective.” American
Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, May 2012,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3477910/.
Research paper looking at the relationship between social media and suicide by David Luxton. Explores influence and public health risk of social media.
Simplilearn. “What Is the Major Impact of Social Media.” Simplilearn.com, Simplilearn, 22
Sept. 2020, www.simplilearn.com/real-impact-social-media-article.
Article about the pros and cons of the impact of social media. Contains information about the impact on social media on multiple categories such as politics, society, commerce, work, training, challenges, and relationships.
Wells, Kevin. “How Much Social Media Is a Healthy Amount?” The Kentucky Kernel, 27 Sept.
2019, www.kykernel.com/opinion/how-much-social-media-is-a-healthy-amount/article_d
64f20d8-d48f-11e9-9d17-cbef58285792.html.
Article by Kevin Wells discussing the moderation of social media use as well as the monitoring of usage. It also includes the health benefits of the moderation of social media usage.
No comments:
Post a Comment