How social media impacts life - We have witnessed the period of strong growth of social media and have relied a lot on it. People share their weekends, their clothes and anything else from the most important to the least important. That's the way things are right now. Being present in our culture means being on the mass media. We are as addicted to social media likes as they mean something in real life.
There is no media network doing anything wrong, the problem is how many people use it and its role in their lives. We all know someone who seems to be constantly seeking approval, posting a nice picture of him or her every day. Using the platform in this way will only make one person feel more alone. However, the good news is that there is a way out. You use the media very effectively and reasonably, without becoming a stalker. So, let's put aside the messy feelings that the media burn in us, such as jealousy, fear and the need for constant approval.
Today, we will make an important analysis of how social media affects us and how it contributes to our society. It has been shown to have a serious effect on our mental health, so it's worth digging a bit deeper. We will look at both the positive and the negative of everything and seek to understand how we can use the platform appropriately.
The toxic reflections of social media
Media does nothing to people. Nobody says you have to use it, it's a personal choice. Malicious ways to use media without realizing it are numerous. We have all come to be fed up with it, asking who cares about this? It sounds disgusting to see problems with images of myself and fake people trying to establish themselves.
It is extremely addictive
We all become addicted to computer screens in one way or another. Whether it is a game or media. Most experts have proven that internet and computer addiction is a real thing. Until now there is also the disorder of Facebook addiction, because it perfectly fits the criteria of an addiction.
Like when you're playing a game or completing a task, you find the best way to do it. Once you succeed, your brain makes itself a dose of dopamine and other happy hormones, making you happy. The same mechanism works when you post photos to Instagram or Facebook. When you see notifications of positive likes and comments appear, you'll unconsciously see it as a reward. But that is not the only, media filled with mood-changing experiences.
Image problem
The notion that ads, magazines and movies affect the body image of teenagers and even adults has been around for quite some time. It enforces a fragile ideal, an idea of masculinity and influences the idea that people have about what they should look like.
In 2016, psychologists demonstrated in many cultures, how media influence body image concerns. Mass media sites have tools that allow people to earn other people's approval of their looks and abilities with others. Selfieholics and people who spend most of their time posting and surfing the web are the most vulnerable. College girls who use Facebook at least 5 times a day are able to link their self-worth to their appearance.
Thanks to great media and simple photo editing tools, selfies will now change their bodies and censor what they don't like about themselves. We bet you're wondering about the girls you see today, the people who make up at home and post a picture of them on Facebook or Instagram. It's like a beauty pageant every day.
Illusion of control
If you take a moment to create a decent social media profile, you can really assume you've got what you want. It can really make you believe that if you work with it, it improves beauty. There are aspects that you cannot control when it comes to the way you look and that is perfectly fine. But with the media, you choose to post a photo that makes you look slimmer, or at least censor the bad parts. Neeud you just sit back and enjoy the approval you receive for your appearance through likes and comments.
In the past, you had to at least watch a movie or take a magazine in hand to see celebrities' bodies. But now, there are countless such images if you hold a smartphone in your hand.
It can make you feel lonely
Have you ever spent time sitting alone in your room, surfing the media and thinking about how lonely you feel? People are having fun, going on holiday, getting married, while you're just friends. Browse a lot on the media page, waiting for your phone to notify that someone has sent you a message.
Many people naturally come to the conclusion that while the media was created to connect us more, it actually separates us. Imagine, that many people had some serious urge and desire to post and get that sweet approval. A study has shown that not posting and not participating in the media will negatively affect the health of participants.
Participants said they felt excluded from what was happening in the world and felt less important. But in reality, nothing has really changed.
However, a Carnegie Mellon University study found that people who use communication tools often feel less alone. In fact, when they are writing a post, commenting on their friends' photos and clicking the Like button will make them feel less lonely.
A fear of being missed
Research conducted in 2016 showed that teens and young people spend more than two hours on social media sites, which are more likely to show psychological distress. See their friends often and even people they don't know have a pretty sad life. It makes them think they are missing out on many things while others are enjoying their lives. They compare and make themselves sad.
This is part of the reason why people feel isolated using social media. They constantly compare themselves with others as they flip through the news feed. Judging others and how they themselves are in the crowd is not healthy. We're constantly looking for ways to see if we are better or worse than our friends, which makes us feel bad. Self-comparison is a very bad habit. It is also associated with other depressive psychiatric symptoms.
It brings more sorrow than happiness
A study conducted in 2013 with young people showed that the continuous use of Facebook felt a moment of happiness. The fact that people connect right away is pretty cool, but with constant use, it really feels socially isolated. So, in fact, the more time spent on media sites, the more they experience social isolation.
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The illusion that it elevates your mood
Because it's addictive, we keep coming back to social media, looking for more doses of dopamine, thinking it really makes us feel good. It is an addiction similar to alcohol or any other substance. We think another blow will help us, release our minds a bit and help us stay on track. In fact, we only make mistakes in predicting our own behaviors and reactions. By now, you know that scrolling media after a bad day will only make you feel worse.
The rise of cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a growing concern, due to its horrific effects on young people in recent years. With growing media platforms, anyone gets trolled and bullied. Everyone has at least one friend who posted an unwanted photo of him or her. Sometimes it doesn't stop there and people are making jokes for a few hours.
You just need to look at the comment section of a post what kind of conflict has triggered. People are more confident about throwing around insults than they do in real life.
Improvements Social Media Brings (Positive)
Social media isn't all about creating fake identities. It is a great tool for everyone who is using it, if used properly. The ability to instantly connect with the people you care about has brought positive changes to your life.
It can save you in an emergency
In a tornado season, social media platforms working together will help a lot. If people see bad weather approaching, they will report it immediately on Facebook or any other platform. This saved hundreds of people in the United States in 2011.
There is information about the tornado coming sooner allowing people to arrive safely faster and they have more time to prepare. The same can be applied to any other disaster scenario, in which fast communication can be the key to avoiding any harm or even surviving.
Advanced connection
The boundary between enhancing our communication and relying on media for it is very thin. It does not necessarily take us out of the real world to give us some useful tools. In fact, it certainly does what it needs to do. To nurture and strengthen relationships with others, because you have no better option to stay up to date with friends across the world?
Or if you feel in a really bad mood, social media will give you the ability to engage with a friend, sometimes a savior.
It can be used as a voice
A lot of people are using media to create a voiceless voice. These people seek to bring awareness to certain social issues. They help people with disabilities and less favorable social background.
It is a place to discover content
Social media pages help you easily find content that caters to your interests. It also creates an opportunity for creative individuals to showcase their work or market it as a product. This allows them to offer valuable content-sharing content. Facebook is also a great place to discover great educational materials on various topics. It also helps people discover essential skills in the real world.
Helping people
You can share your issues and concerns or connect with a sharing group. It's simple to post questions regarding specific issues and have someone help. It has never been so easy to get useful information, so we make the best of it.
Provides a great marketing tool
Media has created a whole new stage in marketing, because it has interaction. Today, marketing is not just about broadcasting information, but engaging in a conversation with potential customers. Businesses use Facebook and Twitter to gain a stronger reputation, online presence and to build their brand.
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Conclusion
Social media pages do not change anyone. Although there is too much personal broadcasting going on through these sites, that is not all they are saying. They will really connect us and help us communicate more effectively, or just nurture our ego and our needs for the approval of others. Ultimately, the way we use it depends on the individual decisions we make.
We hope you enjoyed this article, and we helped you establish a new perspective on the magic we call social media!
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