Advent of Social Media: The Two Sides Of A Coin

Before the advent of social media and the internet, communication between people was largely based on face-to-face interactions and the sending of handwritten letters. The introduction of social media has helped to revolutionize communication and given it a new face. The way people communicate and interact all over the world has been drastically changed and is still changing with the advent of social media platforms. Depending on the usage of social media, this modern way of communication can either make or mar its users.

According to an experienced journalist, editor, and writer, Maya Dollarhide, “the term social media refers to a computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks and communities. Social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content, such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage with social media via a computer, tablet, or smartphone via web-based software or applications.”

Statistics by Datareportal.com stated that 4.65 billion people currently make use of social media as of April 2022. This figure equates to 58.7% of the total world population making use of social media platforms.

Facebook, which was founded in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and friends, is the most popular social media platform with over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide. This is followed by the likes of YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The introduction of social media to the world has been a tale of two sides of a coin, with both negative and positive impacts on the lives of its users. 

Depending on how it is used by certain individuals, social media can be either a blessing or a curse. In this article, we will examine both sides of social media starting with its benefits. Some of the advantages of the advent of social media include 

• Connectivity

The advent of social media has made it easier for people to stay connected with their friends, family, colleagues, and loved ones. It gives you the ability to connect with people instantly without much ado. Social media helps you to reach large audiences simultaneously and instantaneously. It equally helps to bridge the gap and bring you closer to people around the world.

• It helps you to share your expertise with people

Social media provides an avenue for you to share what you know how to do best with people. Sharing your expertise with people can help to sell your product, services, or ideas to people who are interested in whatever it is that you are sharing which could be music, writing, painting, drawing, and so on.

• It helps to educate you

The advent of social media platforms has been of immense help to people seeking knowledge in particular fields or areas of human endeavour. Social media has made education easier and serves as a medium where you can get yourself educated without having to visit a conventional school. By following like-minded people on social media platforms, you can gain insight into some aspects of human lives that interest you.

• It keeps you abreast of the latest information

Isolation is dangerous and keeps you vulnerable to many dangers. With the advent of social media, users can easily keep themselves updated and informed about things happening around them and the world at large. Social media provides you with local and international information.

• It entertains its users

In a world where many people are battling depression and other forms of emotional burden, social media can help to reduce the burden through its various entertaining content. Social media, especially the likes of Instagram and Facebook, are loaded with content creators and kit makers who create comic content for their followers.

• It can be used to raise awareness and promote a cause

The creation of awareness is yet another advantage that has accompanied the advent of social media. Social media can be used to raise awareness about different issues that need immediate societal attention. It can also be used to promote a particular cause, which may include donations for health care and sensitization of the public on the need to be socially responsible, among others.

However, as the saying goes, anything that has advantages usually has disadvantages as well. 

Despite the above advantages and other immense benefits of social media to mankind, it also has some disadvantages discussed below.

• It decreases face-of-face communication

Before the advent of social media, people mostly communicated and interacted face to face, but the emergence of social media has jeopardised face-to-face interactions and leaves people at the mercy of online communication most of the time. This greatly affects people’s physical communication skills.

• It may lead to addiction, time-wasting

Many people’s dreams have been shattered due to social media addiction. Excessive use of social media wastes precious time and affects its users in many ways ranging from their academics, professional career, personal, and so forth. Social media addiction can also have negative effects on health by jeopardizing one health condition.

• It negatively affects family bonding

While social media might help to strengthen family bonding through the provision of easier means of staying in touch with one’s family, if used in excess, it can kill the precious family time together that was present in pre-social media. Family members, who primarily should spend some family time together and create the needed family bonding, now often stick to their respective social media platforms without any regard for their family members nearby.

• It can be easily used to spread fake news and propaganda

Another disadvantage of the advent of social media is that some of its users find it difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to information dissemination, hence they are easily brainwashed with fake news and propaganda. Many social media users don’t bother to verify a particularpiece of  information before sharing it. Someone may just sit down in the comfort of his or her room to pen unauthentic content and before you know it, is already trending on social media space. 

• It may lead to depression

Yes, you read that right. Unknown to some of its users, most of the things flaunted online are nothing but an illusion of reality. Failure to understand this leads to unnecessary comparison by people with low self-esteem who compare their lives with what they see on social media, and fall into depression when they feel their life standard is lower than that of those they are exposed to on social media. 

• Cyberbullying

According to a report published by PewCenter.org, most children have become victims of cyberbullying in the past. Social media has made it easy for bullies to have their way with their victims. Since anyone can hide under their faceless accounts to do whatever they feel like, the growth of cyberbullying has continued to increase. 

           Since social media is two sides of a coin that offers both merits and demerits simultaneously. One must be meticulous in its usage by ensuring the maximum use of its advantages and minimizing its disadvantages. To get the best out of social media, one must first have a clear mindset of why he or she is making use of social media platforms. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

• 4 Ways Bleaching Creams Are Harmful To Your Body
• What Should I Eat To Get A Balanced Diet?
• Black woman emerges Colombia’s vice president