If you cannot put your finger on why you love and hate social media, this article will help you to understand social media pros and cons. Further, find out how social media is impacting you – 5 positive impacts and 7 negative impacts of social media.
Social Media Pros and Cons That We Love And Hate
Social media has only been around since 2003 with the launch of MySpace. In the last ten years, thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and countless other social media platforms, it is now an indispensable part of our lives. Moreover, this includes at work, in the home, and enhancing our leisure time. Below are the top social media pros and cons.
- Why We Love Social Media – Able To Connect To Anyone, Any Content. It is self-evident that we love social media because most of the planet is using it or will soon be using it. Without a doubt, we love to connect with people and content. As an example, SocialMediaToday cited a recent survey of one thousand respondents from 15 countries. “In 11 out of 15 countries, the largest proportion of respondents reported their most important group as primarily online.”
- Why We Hate Social Media – Disinformation and Negative Influences. A recent survey from Pew Research shows that almost two-thirds of Americans (64%) think that “social media have a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country today.” In particular for those who said they have a negative view of social media, they most cited “the spreading of misinformation and made-up news” as their negative view.
Five Positive Impacts of Social Media on Society.
Indeed, there are many social media pros and cons. On the plus side, below are 5 pros on how social media is having a positive effect on society.
1. Build Relationships and Stay Connected.
Social media has opened a whole new world with staying connected with family and friends worldwide. What’s more, social media enhances civic engagement such as fundraising, social awareness. Further, it provides a voice to reach anyone, anywhere for any reason.
2. Provides Entertainment.
Social media helps to relieve stress, depression, loneliness, and overall enhance mental health.
3. Faster and Greater Access to Information.
Also, it is now almost second nature that we can “google” for anything or connect with experts. As a result, we have quick access to information and research. Further, we are able to spread news, stay informed about politics, learn online, and gain job skills online.
4. Convenient Way To Buy Online.
Indeed, social media greatly affects our buying habits. This is because social media provides us an easy way to read reviews about products, and we can quickly access online stores to purchase anything.
5. Build Your Business Online.
More and more businesses are using social media to build and expand their business. As an example, they use social media to acquire good reviews on their products and services. As a result, this increases their brand reputation, drives traffic through ads or organic referrals, and enhances their customer experience.
Seven Negative Impacts of Social Media on Society.
Even though there are many pros to social media, there are also many cons. Below are 7 cons where social media is having a negative impact on society.
1. Subpar Social and Emotional Encounters.
Indeed, as people are not physically together, social media hampers emotional bonds. Further, many social interactions are short and only communicated through a text message. Hence, real feelings and reactions can be lost or misinterpreted. Some “friends” may not be really your friends and misrepresent who they are.
2. Enables the Quick Spread of Disinformation.
Either intentional or unintentional, incorrect information can be spread quickly to anyone. Additionally, even if the information is refuted, it can remain online and continue to cause damage. As a result, damage can include ruining someone’s reputation or having people make bad decisions on this bad information.
3. Privacy Violations.
All of us have privacy rights, but on the internet any private information is at risk of being shared with anyone. Thus, personal information can become public that can affect job opportunities, cause embarrassment, create a stalking incident, or impersonations. Worst of all, your password or account information can be hacked.
4. Increased Exposure to Negative Emotional Situations.
The more time you spend on the internet, you will be exposed to negative emotional situations. This could result in cyberbullying, social anxiety, depression, and exposure to content that is not age appropriate.
5. Physically Isolated and Distracted (Internet Addiction / Fear Of Missing Out).
Most social media applications are addictive similar to any other addictive stimulus like gambling or drugs. Indeed, this happens because your brain will give you a dose of dopamine and other happiness hormones, making you happy. Thus, the problem is that you lose contact with the rest of your life. Additionally even if you do not become totally addicted, social media can be detrimental to your work and personal life.
Also with social media, you can have a fear of missing out and you end up constantly checking social media at work, home, and even way into the night. As a result, some of us can become “selfieholics” where you are constantly posting to social media at the expense of your non-internet life. Hence, you end up present physically, but not mentally.
6. Facilitates Laziness / Procrastination That Negatively Affects Your Life.
Lying on the couch all day, everyday can result in health problems such as obesity and high blood pressure to name a few. Additionally, there are other things in your life that you either delay or do not do as social media takes priority.
7. Cheating and Relationship Issues.
Social media offers more opportunities for someone to cheat on their loved one. As a minimum, social media can create relationship issues when it takes priority in someone’s life over their loved ones.
For more details on the pros and cons of social media, see Simplilearn’s Top 7 Impacts of Social Media: Advantages and Disadvantages, MediaUpdate’s The impact of social media on our society and LifeSpan’s Pros and Cons of Social Media.
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