Duality of Social Media Presented with its definition
Technology introduced society to a new era; mobile phones, artificial intelligence, and the internet are the developments that come along with it. We the people, as the biggest part of the components, are being impacted the most.
According to Oxford Dictionary, social media is defined as websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Putting it in simpler terms, social media is where people can communicate online, especially among young generations.
From one perspective, they can truly express their opinions and make friends on popular platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Nonetheless, social media still presents certain underlying issues. Social media overuse appears as a phenomenon and is described as a behavioral addiction.
What are some specific effects that social media causes upon us all? Where do they lead us to? Let’s take a look at pieces of evidence and dive deeper into the world of social media.
Loneliness and Social Media
As the name of social media suggests, it is a platform for socialization. However, research findings on active public Facebook use and adolescents’ feelings of loneliness signify that there is a vivid correlation between social media use and loneliness, where higher usage of social media showed higher levels of loneliness among users. Inevitable self-comparison and reduced interactions with real-world friends due to excessive use of social media are the causes of loneliness.
Social media also provides benefits. For example, social media may help introverted people develop social skills. Moreover, social media can help people find their community. Thus, social media doesn’t directly cause loneliness but the way we use it is what really matters.
Self-esteem
With social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook becoming a large part of our lives, young adolescents, particularly young women are being the primary users of such platforms, social media might become the main cause of body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem.
Emily Bryngelson, an associate designer at Ann Taylor, who admitted to struggling with an eating disorder as a teenager, revealed that she deletes selfies if she doesn’t receive enough “likes” on social media. Countless young ladies are struggling in this endless comparison of beauty contributed by social media. While it seems like social media can help with people’s need for acceptance, it causes low body confidence, too.
Isolation
It seems like the use of social media can increase social engagement; however, it is agreed by some experts that communicating with others online tends to be less emotionally fulfilling compared to communicating in person. Researchers also find that teenagers who spend more time on social media are more likely to feel isolated; for instance, time spent on physical activities is usually cut by social media.
How does social media affect everyday social interaction?
How will social media affect People's Daily social interaction? In modern society, people spend more and more time on social media. However, excessive use of social media is not good for people's mental health. In the survey, 49% of people aged 18-24 and 35% of people aged 55 and older reported mental health challenges due to their use of social media.
However, social media can be a great tool for introverts to make friends if people use it wisely and limit the amount of time they spend each day. The study showed that 57% of 13 to 17-year-olds have made new friends online, with 29% saying they have made more than five new friends online.
In general, social media has brought some benefits to people. However, excessive use of social media can have an impact on some aspects.
There is a link between social media and loneliness. The higher the use of social media, the greater the feeling of loneliness. This is because people spend more time on the Internet, thus neglecting real-life people and events. In terms of social engagement, real-life communication tends to be more emotional than online communication.
In addition, social media helps people to find their community and gain a sense of belonging. Try to reduce the use of social media time as it can improve mental health.
Hope you guys don’t get too addicted to social media. Instead, take a closer look at people and things in reality.
There are so many beautiful things waiting to be discovered
in the world.
Writer｜Jennifer, Vivi, Debbie,
Jiaying Natalia, Ashley
Proofreading｜ Joslyn, Susie
Typesetting｜Gina, Kelly