It can be argued that humanity has managed to progress so much in the past century due to the rise of new, faster forms of communication. With this development, a hub has been created that contains all kinds of information regarding mankind and beyond. Updating every second, it has provided easy access to a wide array of facilities for any and all individuals on earth who are privileged enough to be using it. This is more commonly known as the internet. The largest part of the internet is social media, which can simply be put as any forum involving the sharing of content with others. Social media has embedded itself into the society and its removal is near impossible. It provides users with an easy way to engage and interact with others without having to meet in-person.
Today’s world is a global village. Everyone is connected through the ever expanding power of the internet. There is no denying that ever since social networks and social media made their way into our lives, everything is different. From the way we socialize, when we go out, how we plan for gatherings or even how we talk to other people. Social media has inserted itself into every part of the modern world, from politics to the workplace, and it continues to grow and spread like nothing ever seen before, making it tricky to predict what will happen next.
Most of us have become reliant on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to socialize. While each has its benefits, it is important to remember that social media can never be a replacement for real-world human connection. Only that can trigger the proper receptors in the brain for a person to feel motivated and positive.
Social media enables communication and helps you stay connected with the world. People often find themselves making new friends and interacting with people who have matching interests. Social media also helps in the promotion of worthwhile causes as well as in raising awareness on important issues.
Social media has the ability to empower students all the way from elementary school to post graduation. It allows them to utilize new ways of sharing information and building a community. Students can build communities and groups with a variety of educational concepts but the students often find themselves in a constant competition with the digital world. The world represented on most social media platforms is in fact highly manipulated and simulated, creating a false dreamland that is distant from reality.
Even if you know that images you are viewing are manipulated, they can still make you feel insecure about yourself. Similarly, we’re all aware that other people tend to share just the highlights of their lives and not the negative experiences that everyone goes through but that doesn’t lessen those feelings of envy and dissatisfaction. People might experience an inferiority or a superiority complex. Furthermore people start to demean themselves and hence lower their self-esteem which affects their confidence too.
When placed in a new situation, individuals often tend to grab their phones and begin scrolling social media in order to temporarily escape. Moreover, with the constant updating of every platform there is, people feel that it is essential to stay up to date with these updates or else they feel detached and left behind. It has been observed that simply the sound of a notification from social media can trigger the exact same rush otherwise obtained from addictive narcotics. Prioritizing social media over in person relationships can cause the development or deterioration of emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression.
Users also face the risk of identity theft, stalking or misinformation in general. Most of the time, the users themselves are at fault as they end up sharing sensitive and personal content that should be kept private.
However we must not forget how handy social media can be for people in all walks of life. Perhaps the entire 21st century’s population functions on social media. Social media has provided an outlet for people from all around the globe to come together and share information, simultaneously learning and teaching.
The reality is that social media is a big part of our day to day life and there’s no point of keeping it away from the people. However, the addictive element of social media and cybersecurity on these platforms are matters which should be tackled in order to achieve the maximum benefit from social media.
The writer is currently studying A levels at Aitchison College, Lahore. zaeem4ev@gmail.com
