Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media

Samantha Hammond

Dr. Smith

ENC 0025

12 September 2017

Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media

In modern age society, everyone uses a form of social media to communicate with others. Today, everyone uses a form of social media to communicate with others; therefore, we all feel the effects of social media in our lives. However, Facebook, Twitter and even email can have negative effects.  Those negative effects include cyber bullying and a false sense of connection, and yet social media can be incredibly beneficial for business

Social media paves an easy road for cyberbullying. The Internet provides an anonymity that helps people speak out in ways they would not speak out in real life. It is also a way predators can reach out to kids. Cyberbullying has even been the cause of some public cases of suicide (Jung). In a time where anyone can say anything on the Internet, a lot of people have had a tendency of using it for bad intentions.

Social media can also give way for a false sense of connection. People tend to confuse meaningful relationships in real life with casual relationships formed online. They tend to focus more time and energy on relationships online than they do with people around them (Jung). It can also affect our relationships with people in our real life when we post things on social media that affects them (Ta). There has also been a phenomenon described as “catfishing”, where people pose as someone they are not, using other people’s pictures and identities. These also cause false senses of connections, including false feelings of love and can be emotionally and mentally damaging.

One good use of social media is what it brings to businesses. Companies use social media for advertising, building relationships with their customers and many other things. Feedback and reviews from customers help businesses understand who they are targeting and adjust their products accordingly. Some companies also do giveaways or contests that ensure more people will view their pages and products. It is a lot cheaper and a more effective way to maintain their image and popularity (Ta). People often also use social media to find employment opportunities or potential career paths.

In conclusion, social media can be good for businesses but can cause emotional and psychological damage through cyberbullying and a false sense of relationships. If used properly, social media can serve to help us tremendously. However, used improperly or even obsessively, it can really hurt us. It is important to use extreme caution to not become a victim to many of the online dangers. Therefore, the effects of social media in our lives depends on us.

Works Cited

Jung, Brian. “The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individual.” Hearst Chronicle, 16 Nov.2015, Hearst Publishing, 2017, smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html