Assignment task:
The Negative Impact of Social Media
Social media, something that has become part of the everyday life of many individuals. With its addition to some of our daily routine comes the question of "Is it more beneficial or detrimental?" Many argue that social media is more beneficial, with all the different ways it brings for people to connect with each other. Others argue that social media is more detrimental, as it is often linked to cases of depression and risks of security. If we take a look at mental problems caused by social media, the privacy concerns it causes, and the endangerment some people are putting themselves on when using it, we can conclude that the drawbacks of social media far outweigh its benefits.
Numerous mental health problems seem to be related to the use of social media. One of the biggest drawbacks of social media is the mental health problems it causes which should be taken into consideration when weighing the drawbacks and benefits of social media. Social media has a lot of downsides such as depression, Fear of missing out, anxiety, and stress, which can all be caused by prolonged use of social media. For example, in an experiment made to find if there was a correlation between the use of social media and high school students depression, Igor Pantic, in his experiment "Association between online social networking and depression in high school students: behavioral physiology viewpoint.", concluded that "Our results indicate that the time spent on social networking in high school students is related to the risk for depression" (Pantic 90-3). The conclusion of the experiment can help prove that there is a connection between the use of social media and mental problems. Although social media might have some benefits, risking yourself to mental problems could outweigh those benefits.
Social media sites could also compromise your personal information, such as your passwords, email address, or even your location. This is another important factor when considering which outweighs the drawbacks and the benefits of social media. Any kind of private information you put up when making yourself a social media account will not always be one hundred percent private information. One example of this comes from Avast Blog's Best of 2023: Why is everyone getting hacked on Facebook?, who points out that common people, or people who are not very knowledgeable in Cybersecurity, are often the easiest targets for cyber criminals to take their information (Avast Blog). This shows that a lot of the information you put on any social media site could be in danger from cyber criminals at this very moment. Although it's unlikely specifically you will get hacked, there is always a chance it could happen to you, and all your information will be put at risk because of that.
The dangers brought by social media not only extend to information, but also you could be in real danger by exposing yourself to any kind of stalkers and anyone who you cannot verify who they are or their intentions. This is an extra huge component that can be taken into regard when comparing both the advantages and disadvantages of social media, as well as when considering what to post on social media. Many moderately famous individuals have had their information, such as their real names, home address, and phone number posted online without their consent, also known as doxing, and tracked down by stalkers or people who genuinely hate them. For instance, this exact scenario happened to a Youtuber known as "Jacksfilms" who according to Lindsay Dodgson in her news article "Jacksfilms said he was 'strongly considering moving' after getting doxxed by fellow YouTuber to her millions of followers" Jack Douglass, owner of the Jacksfilms channel, got into a dispute with Alia Shelesh, owner of the channel SSSniperwolf, because Shelesh was not properly crediting the content used in her videos. Shelesh then decided to go to Douglass' house and took several pictures of his house to her Instagram story. After that Douglass mentioned that he is now afraid to leave his house but also wanting to move out of there (Dodgson). This proofs that social media sites can put you in real danger even if it's only by saying something someone else disliked. Even if you are not as famous as some of the people this has happened to, you are still at risk of running into someone who might attempt to find you in person.
Still, there are many people who argue that social media has more benefits than it has drawbacks. From staying connected with others to been able to interact with others across the world, social media's benefits might seem to outweigh the drawbacks. Although that argument might make a lot of sense for some people, the truth is that even with those few benefits, the drawbacks of social media still outweigh the benefits by a larger margin. Previously discussed themes, such as mental health problems or concerns about both safety and security, seem to be much larger problems than the much smaller benefits social media could be able to bring. Also, communicating with strangers on social media could also bring further problems, due to the reason that you do not know what their hidden intentions could be or if they are even trustworthy.
Social media has both benefits and drawbacks, yet those drawbacks far overshadow the benefits. The mental health problems that seem to be related to the use of social media can be seen as one of the biggest examples of the drawbacks. Research suggests that depression and social media usage are correlated, which helps conclude that they are related. Along with that, social media can also compromise your personal information. There have been numerous cases of people getting their account taken away along with any piece of personal information they put in that account, such as passwords or even their location. Last of all, you could also get in real danger by simply messing with the wrong individual.There even have been cases of people getting into real danger, for something they said on a social media site. Therefore, we can conclude that with these many drawbacks the disadvantages of social media far outweigh the advantages it brings.
Works Cited:
Pantic, Igor et al. "Association between online social networking and depression in high school students: behavioral physiology viewpoint." Psychiatria Danubina vol. 24,1 (2012): 90-3.
Avast Blog. Best of 2023: Why is everyone getting hacked on Facebook? 21 December 2023. web.
Dodgson, Lindsay. Jacksfilms said he was 'strongly considering moving' after getting doxxed by fellow YouTuber to her millions of followers. 5 November 2023. Web.