positive and negative effects of social media & Myths

there are a lot of Positive And Negative Effects Of Social Media. The Number one question that arises often is that- Are social media making us lonely? The answer is A Big No. But there are also some exceptions If you don’t know why are you even on a platform like Facebook or Instagram then you are just ruining your time and in that case, you will be left alone.

let’s dive deeper what Do I mean by this and learn about the positive and negative effects of social Media.

Does social media make us lonely ?

Social media does not make us lonely But you have to understand the science behind social media and why it keeps you hooked. The loneliness comes when we don’t know the actual purpose behind using social media, Whenever you scroll through the picture of your friend or someone who is spending his time, living a lavish lifestyle, your brain kicks into thinking that I wish I could do that and you crave for good feelings instead of actually doing something of your own, the lack of clarity create loneliness. ( As explained below)

Your brain releases chemicals like dopamine, serotonin and other neurotransmitters that give you temporary happiness, whenever you post something on social media and get likes and comment in the same post.

So, to get that burst of happiness, again and again, we, scroll through social like a never-ending loop and wherever you restrict yourself from social media you feel lonely.

Hence, social media don’t make us lonely, the way we use it Does.

how to use social media effectively ?

• First understand Why Are you even on Social Media? , What would be your answer ?
• Join forums, groups etc. and ask question regarding your queries on life, career or profession
• To use Social Media effectively, use time frames for being in that particular platform so that you don’t end up wasting any more time.
• When you know why you are using social media – Like for business or connecting with clients then that is one of the biggest advantages.

In the same way, Facebook, Instagram and other social media site have a good side too- For those who know why they are using social media then you are using it effectively. Just for the sake of posting pictures for likes and comment, is just getting that dopamine strike is not the correct way of using social media.

Is Social Media making us Anti-social ?

Social Media does not make you anti-social if you know how to use it if you don’t then the feeling of missing out comes. Therefore find out the reason why are you on the online platforms. Just for the sake of posting picture, getting likes and comment will destroy your self-esteem in the long term as explained more below.

If you would ask me, then I quit Facebook for around 2 years but again I have come back due to my business reasons, ads and all. and coming back to anti-social part- It happens only when we excessively get engaged in that loop, and crave for dopamine. ( The following video could help you understand)

Positive And Negative Effects Of Social Media

1. Positive effects of Social Media

• Influence of social media in terms of education is immense. the students can share and collaborate with the instructor or teacher at any hour of the day and resolve their issues. they can gain and share knowledge with a social media platform.
• Social media helps to build relationships for youngsters who want to be a startup founder. Engaging with the audience, using hashtags to find potential customers, providing value by constant post etc. are the relationships which are built via social media
• Social Media gives you an opportunity to share ideas, information, news, views, opinions, photographs, videos, articles etc. Also to ‘like’, ‘comment’ and forward information.
• Social Media helps To socialize and build communities of like-minded individuals online.
• It is a free medium for advertising, promotion and developing Public Relations.
• This tool can help students perform better at school-About 3 out of every 5 students say that they use social media to discuss educational topics if they have access to the Internet. Half of the students say that they talk about their school assignments with their friends.

Recommended Reading >> 9 Self Help Skills For The Young Generations

2. Negative effects of Social Media

• Social Media have become a free medium for political and religious propaganda, hate-mongering and spreading fake news.
• Without knowing the impact of any news people are share it frequently, which may lead to violence and communal riots in society.
• People especially children’s are prone to obscene material and pornography.
• It has given rise to cybercrime, Theft of personal information, a peep into our personal life and privacy, more cases of copyright and other crime have increased.
• Excess use of social media has given rise to a new syndrome called “Fear of Missing out“, and also an increase in suicidal cases in society.
• Social media creates more time-wasting opportunities throughout the day-Internet users between the ages of 16-64 said that they spend about 1.7 hours every day on their various social media sites. That accounts for about 30% of the total amount of time that they spend online each day. One-third of those who were surveyed said that their networking activities were the biggest waste of time in their day, ranking it above watching television, playing fantasy sports, and shopping
• Some people substitute online interactions for their offline relationships.-Our constant connections with one another create a shift in how we approach our relationships. You can pull up the social profile of a friend with a simple tap or click. Then you can message that person, leave a comment, or like one of their posts. We often substitute these actions for the face-to-face conversations we used to have, which reduces the number of social skills that we can use outside of the digital realm. Because of this disadvantage, some critics of social networking would say that our activities promote anti-social behaviour more than it encourages new connections.

Conclusion- In A Nutshell

Just like everything has advantages and disadvantages, social media is no different. You are the one that makes choices and those little choices can entirely change your life towards elevating productivity and betterment of your current self. Use social media to connect and construct a meaningful relationship with your peer and like-minded people, share knowledge, ideas and create a clean and joyful community.