Pros and cons of Social media
The new generation is digitalizing. People spend more time on their phones than any other thing. The Internet has introduced the world to us with just one click but along with its list of advantages, there comes a long list of disadvantages also.
Smartphone addiction is something that we all intentionally or unintentionally enjoy but the long hours spent on it are met with negative things in return. Spending hours on social media fuels us with anxiety, FOMO, isolation, and in some cases depression also.
Life on social media appears to be perfect and isn’t perfection in life is something that we all crave for. Good clothes, fancy homes, smiling faces, lovey divey couples, vacation to exotic locations social media is filled with it but what it doesn’t show is the dark reality behind it, the frustration, struggle, hardship people go through to achieve all of it.
We see it, believe it, and try to chase it but even after chasing nothing comes into our hands then the anxiety, self-consciousness, and depression take over.
In some cases, the impact is more harmful. Some people try to fill the void in their life with their virtual friends and when the reality doesn’t match with reality the person felts broken.
Someone has said it well, ‘We’re the generation of Broken hearts and broken people’.
It’s not like social is filled with cons only there are many pros to it.
- It helps us stay connected and updated. Social media is the lifesaver in lockdowns. Chatting, video calls, or snaps, social media keeps family and friends connected in the lockdown.
- It exposes you to the world. The best thing about is that with the exposure you get to learn a lot of new things, you talk to people from different regions and cultures, you get to know them. People develop an understanding of different parts of the world.
- It is the best platform to raise awareness about something. You can connect with people across the world and deliver your ideas, perspective, and concern to them.
- Social media breaks the barrier. When you log in to a platform your background doesn’t matter there, people see you as an individual with your own ideas and perspective. It is especially good for introverts or those who have social anxiety, they can connect with others without hesitation and the platform gives them the chance to open up.
- If you are looking for information and knowledge then it is a sea of knowledge, you can just dive and take as much as you can.
There are several other advantages to it. Social media is good but only if you don’t excess of it. Investing yourself too much in it is like an addiction.
Some of the disadvantages that connect with it are
- Insecurity and anxiety have a gloomy effect. The world of social media is manipulative it makes a person feel insecure about oneself. Scrolling through those dazzling posts often makes a person that something is missing in his life.
- FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is often seen in social media addicts. FOMO impacts self-esteem and triggers anxiety and often makes us feel less fortunate than others. Due to this fear of missing out many people starts prioritizing social media over their real-world connections.
- The majority of social media users often felt left out and isolated. Even the University of Pennsylvania in a study founds out that those who are more connected with social media feel more isolated and reducing the use of it can lower the feeling of isolation.
- Depression and Anxiety are increasing in these people. For good mental health, we need a peaceful face to face conversations rather than those half-hearted chats.
- Cyberbullying and trolling are increasing day by day. About 10 percent of teens report being bullied on social media and many users face abusive or offensive comments. People often take advantage of the security and privacy of these platforms and harass other innocents.
- It can also lead you towards unhealthy self-centeredness. Such people start living in their own bubble and disconnect themselves from reality.
Social media has lots of pros and cons it depends on the user who utilizes the tool but still if you are constantly active on these platforms you should take preventions. Use these platforms for entertainment and information not as an addiction.