Is Social Media Good or Bad for us?

15 years later, is social media good or bad for humanity? The Social Media phenomenon 

Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Youtube, and Facebook seem to rule the world. The invention of sites such as Myspace and LinkedIn in the early 21st century led to a digital phenomenon. The releases of Youtube in 2005 and Facebook in 2006 revolutionized the way people shared their lives.

Suddenly, fame and fortune seemed much more obtainable. For the first time in the history of the world, it was possible to communicate with strangers from the far corners of the earth and get glimpses into their lives.

Today social media is used for countless different purposes and has no doubt become a staple in our society; but has it really benefited us? Has the invention of social networking sites been beneficial to the human race or would we be much better off without it? Ultimately, is Social Media good OR bad for us?

Social Media and its impossible beauty standards 

Studies by ScienceDirect show that there is a correlation between online grooming behaviors such as viewing people’s profiles and the drive for thinness. Editing apps such as FaceTune make editing one’s body extremely simple. This can lead to people questioning their own bodies and asking themselves why they do not look like their favourite influencers. It can also be especially detrimental to impressionable young girls and boys who are trying to discover themselves and often model themselves after influencers and celebrities they look up to.

Eating disorders become common in a world where adhering to the beauty standards set out by social media is essential to our happiness.

Mental Health 

In addition to causing eating disorders, social media can also be detrimental to its users’ mental health in other ways. For example, seeing the perfect lives of peers can lead to individuals developing depression. As only the best parts of life are shared on these sites, one can be led to believe that everyone else’s lives are superior to their own and that there is something wrong with them.

Healthline, reports that the use of social media can be linked to depression, anxiety, poor sleep quality, and lower self-esteem. It is clear that social media platforms can be seriously harmful to the well being of its users. 

It is not all bad though, It’s great for staying connected

Instagram and Facebook are undeniably great ways to keep in touch with friends and family.  One can see what their peers are up to in a matter of minutes. Pictures and videos show their latest activities and a simple comment can help you stay fresh in their memories. Instead of calling all of your relatives and peers to talk to them about your life individually, you can simply post an Instagram picture or change your Facebook status. Social media apps like Twitter are also a great tool for self-expression.

Whether it’s sharing your latest drawings or your political opinions, there is always someone to communicate your feelings and ideas to. Additionally, it is an outlet for people to voice their frustrations and beliefs. By doing so, one may encounter like-minded people from all across the globe and form strong friendships based on mutual interests.

So, are we better off with or without it?

At the end of the day, countless bad and good features of social media sites can be listed. On one side, it seems to lead to the unhappiness of many of its users. On the other side, it seems to be an extremely convenient tool for self-expression and communication. Instead of dwelling on the past, we as a society should strive to see how we can better ourselves.

We should not be asking ourselves whether we would be better off without social media and concentrating more on how we can fix it so it can help us lead healthy and successful lives.

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