The Effect of Social Media
I truly don't know anyone my age who doesn't have a prominent social media presence. Personally, I follow 860 people on Instagram, and 1,651 people follow me back. Therefore, these people have access to not only my pictures, but, my email, where I live, where I attend University and my current location depending if I upload a story or not. I have a public profile, thus, anyone can look me up, at anytime, and/or follow my account. I do not have a personal website at the moment, but I'm pretty much an open book when it comes to my social media. In ways I believe this could be a good thing or a not-so-great thing.
The list will go on as to why I am convinced that social media is beneficial in todays society. First off, it connects us with the world. It's absolutely insane how quickly a video could go viral just by one person sharing it to their friends... and then they share it with their friends... and it just keeps going on. These apps not only connect us with family, however people around the world! I believe Instagram is great for connecting with not only people, but even businesses. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn are the best ways to engage with consumers from a business perspective, and once you gain a decent following, it's free advertising!
It's crazy to see so much information appear with just a quick Google search of my name. If I type in my name into the search bar, my Facebook page appears, my Instagram, my old and new Twitters, my Blogger page, and my LinkedIn profile. Consequently, with one quick search, an individual could gain an absurd amount of information about me, which is crazy to think about and something that has never bothered me until today. My email is posted and can be accessed by the public on all social media platforms, however I make my phone number private. The reason being, I've created two Gmail accounts, one specifically for my social media pages and the other for shopping sites, such as, coupons, etc. As for my phone number, I hate more than anything getting spam phone calls, so I try to limit giving it out.
All that being said, there is proven to be a negative effect from social media as well. In ways I believe social media has the ability to make people depressed, lonely and/or isolated. However, I don't think that social media makes an individual depressed, but can increase a persons depression. Studies have also shown that social media use have huge effects on peoples sleep quality and wellbeing. Additionally, can effect anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Now-a-days 90% of young adults are on these websites/apps, which can put a toll on their mental health. These children are growing up comparing themselves to others, there are risks of cyber bullying, and even stalking.
These websites were obviously designed for users to hold as much attention as possible. We're meant to want to be on them 24/7, however there are definitely effects that tag along with it. Everyone just needs to be cautious of them and use social media effectively!
The list will go on as to why I am convinced that social media is beneficial in todays society. First off, it connects us with the world. It's absolutely insane how quickly a video could go viral just by one person sharing it to their friends... and then they share it with their friends... and it just keeps going on. These apps not only connect us with family, however people around the world! I believe Instagram is great for connecting with not only people, but even businesses. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn are the best ways to engage with consumers from a business perspective, and once you gain a decent following, it's free advertising!
It's crazy to see so much information appear with just a quick Google search of my name. If I type in my name into the search bar, my Facebook page appears, my Instagram, my old and new Twitters, my Blogger page, and my LinkedIn profile. Consequently, with one quick search, an individual could gain an absurd amount of information about me, which is crazy to think about and something that has never bothered me until today. My email is posted and can be accessed by the public on all social media platforms, however I make my phone number private. The reason being, I've created two Gmail accounts, one specifically for my social media pages and the other for shopping sites, such as, coupons, etc. As for my phone number, I hate more than anything getting spam phone calls, so I try to limit giving it out.
All that being said, there is proven to be a negative effect from social media as well. In ways I believe social media has the ability to make people depressed, lonely and/or isolated. However, I don't think that social media makes an individual depressed, but can increase a persons depression. Studies have also shown that social media use have huge effects on peoples sleep quality and wellbeing. Additionally, can effect anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Now-a-days 90% of young adults are on these websites/apps, which can put a toll on their mental health. These children are growing up comparing themselves to others, there are risks of cyber bullying, and even stalking.
These websites were obviously designed for users to hold as much attention as possible. We're meant to want to be on them 24/7, however there are definitely effects that tag along with it. Everyone just needs to be cautious of them and use social media effectively!
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