So what is the first thing that you do when you wake up? Perhaps you go for the phone and then scroll through your Instagram and go for the latest updates! In short, it is wise to say that our life begins and ends with scrolling social media before bed!
Social media is now not just a platform to stay connected to friends and family around the world but also allows you for great-scale promotion, communication, advertisement and so much more. As we all know it has both positive and negative impacts on our lives. But do you know the secret behind all these wide-scale impacts? Well, that is exactly what we are here to discuss.
So what is this bug called social media and how did it show up suddenly?
Well, man is a social being and any term that comprises the word “social” will be his favorite. With the evolution and advent of the internet, it was only fair that we developed these social platforms for interaction around the world. Whether we talk about Orkut or our faithful friend Facebook, these are ways to connect, communicate and grow! From simple texts to multimedia the evolution was quite rapid!
However, the impact of social media didn’t stay restricted to mere communication and has grown to become an addiction for youth and individuals among different age groups.
Where is the positive impact of social media on our lives?
Let us begin with all the social causes which can be promoted by these platforms. Much awareness has been created by the presence of these platforms where one can freely express their thoughts and promote the cause. It is a space for free communication and exchange of opinions in other words. Be it a fundraiser, charity, or campaign, we can easily reach out to everyone around the world. Much improvement has been made in bonding people with the same cause and mentality but separated by kilometers.
But are there any demerits of social apps too?
Of course, where there is light there has to be darkness and as we describe the merits of social media, the demerits have to follow right after.
There have been situations where too much interaction with the digital world has isolated us from the world that is right beside us! We are getting distant from our family and loved ones as we are more and more engrossed in the color and the shimmer of the digital space.
But we can’t always speak about the demerits, right?
Well, there is always hidden rice in the bunch of chaff and that is what we need to look for. Let us have a glimpse of how diversified the world has become around us. People from different groups, cultures, and ethics have united over the platforms and have gathered and exchanged ideas and knowledge! The traditions of different religions and groups are discussed and the best part is this has enabled an individual to find common beliefs, ideologies, and traditions among different sects and castes from different races of the world. Isn’t that a wonderful development indeed?
But is it fair to be sharing every detail on social media?
We are inclined to put up all the highlights of our day from breakfast to dinner on social media, where we have checked in and what place to eat, and where you locally hang out! Posting regularly makes us feel closer to everyone and noticed! The popular term,” Fear of missing out” or FOMO as we know it has compelled us to spread all our cards on the table. But don’t you think oversharing can indeed make us vulnerable? It is certainly not desirable for every stranger to become aware of our whereabouts! It increases our chances to be stalked and followed by unwanted companions! There are enough cases reported on social media stalking and the consequences of the same. Let’s not reduce our personal space and the comfort of privacy!
Well we can’t deny that it helps to reduce loneliness and isolation
Yes, that is true indeed! We can’t thank enough social media apps for their contribution to keeping us together during the devastating pandemic we experienced! The real world was shut to us, no one was allowed outside the house for months! Naturally, our mental health went cuckoo amidst the chaos and the only savior were these texts, reels, and videos. Whether as a dose of inspiration on how everyone is dealing with the isolation or connecting over video chats, streaming movies, or a Netflix party, everything made us feel a lot closer to our family cities apart and locked due to a pandemic.
Addiction and loss of interest.
It is indeed a sad reality that the more we look into our phones the more we are compelled to scroll! It has come to such a pass that even our emotions are controlled by these apps. Checked a story or status update? Someone is out there on the beaches, another is enjoying a coffee date! What am I doing inside the four walls of my house then? Instant irritation and feelings of hopelessness in life drain us from our dose of inspiration. Someone else’s accomplishment feels like our own failure! We have forgotten to stay invested in our track! I guess not much explanation is needed here.
Then which is the judicious way of using social media for the benefit of society?
The key to this question lies in “not much not less”. Overdoing is not kind to our minds and understanding the extent of usage of social media will provide us with an ideal solution. Time yourself and remember that although social media is a tool for humans it should not be given the supreme power of controlling minds. Interaction with the world around you is equally important as you cannot forever remain embedded in the virtual platform. Reach out to the ones around at the table before you reach out to the world.