Introduction
It is undeniable that the pervasive use of social media has changed the way the world operates. Data shows that there are 4.62 billion social media users, representing 58.4% of the world population as of January 2022 (Kemp, 2022). This number is likely to continue going up, and measures must be taken to ensure that this platform is used responsibly. The increased use of podiums such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and others has changed how people handle interpersonal interactions and completely influenced the social, cultural, political, and economic landscapes across the globe.
The rise of social media as a global communication force has had massive benefits to society. However, it has also come with disadvantages, making critics question the negative consequences of its abuse. This paper will examine the arguments favoring social media use and the negative perspectives and develop a more balanced solution. The perversive use of social media in the interconnected world highlights the need for a more balanced approach that considers both positive and negative impacts.
Social, Cultural, Political, and Economic Consequences
The use of social media in the modern world touches every aspect of life, impacting social, cultural, political, and economic aspects. Socially, social media is beneficial as it facilitates the interconnectivity of people worldwide, fostering a sense of global community (Rajamohan et al., 2019). This social interconnectivity also serves as a breeding ground for misinformation where people are guided by echo chambers surrounding themselves with like-minded people with polarized views.
Regarding culture, social media is a huge force influencing dressing and trends and creating new forms of expression. It also acts as a platform for self-expression where marginalized groups can express their culture, thus fostering global understanding among people. Conversely, social media could negatively influence people’s culture through commodification.
The social media has also impacted the way politics around the globe are conducted. Sharing information through social media is often easy and scalable (Gilardi et al., 2022). Politicians thus leverage this media to communicate to their constituents, and it helps the need for them to travel to every corner of their jurisdiction when campaigning.
Nevertheless, some unethical politicians may use this tool to spread falsified information about their opponents. Like in the corporate world, political parties rely on targeted advertising to tailor their message based on the demographics and preferences of a voter. However, many nations across the globe have labeled this form of political strategy to be disallowed. People also use the social media platforms to share and discuss their political ideologies. However, it has been noted that many of these are characterized by hate speech, bullying, and fake news propaganda.
The increased use of social media has resulted in massive economic benefits to organizations that have leveraged the tool. Studies show that businesses that depend on social media have a 10% more return on investment (ROI) when compared to their counterparts that do not (Ryu & Park, 2020). This positive financial income for businesses is driven by increased brand visibility that having a strong social media reach promotes.
Social media also offers a more cost-effective means of marketing when compared to traditional marketing techniques. On the macro-economic scale, social media has resulted in the rise of the gig economy, with roles such as social media marketing, content creation, and influencers coming up. Like in all aspects, social media has various economic challenges, such as businesses having to invest much money to address the privacy concerns it is associated with.
Social Media as a Positive Force
Social media has had many positive impacts on society, transforming how people communicate and interact. The impacts transcend the general sharing of information and have resulted in the empowerment of the communities through sharing knowledge opportunities and fostering interconnectedness. One of the biggest impacts of social media is its ability to disseminate information across established regional and geographical boundaries, which promotes cross-cultural understanding (Stasberger, 2023).
Before the onset of social media platforms, people worldwide had different cultures. They were more likely to be prejudiced and critical of the practices of people from around the globe. Through facilitating real-time interactions, social media platforms such as TikTok have made it easy to share ideas and experiences, thus eliminating these stereotypes. Cross-cultural understanding facilitated by social media has fostered a strong sense of empathy in different cultures. It also made it easy for people to know that it is acceptable for people to have different views and co-exist with one another.
The rise of social media platforms has fostered increased global interconnectivity. In today’s world, it is common for family members to be separated in search of employment and education opportunities. Relatives separated by millions of miles can maintain strong bonds with their family members by communicating regularly and cheaply using social media. It is now common to see family members video call one another and communicate as if they are next to each other. Social media platforms also facilitate sending images, voice notes, and emojis that help create and maintain strong bonds between relatives and friends (Ma & Cai, 2023). These have successfully transcended physical boundaries, creating an environment where relations can survive even over long distances.
Social media is a positive force as it has emerged as a tool for empowering marginalized communities and as a voice for people suffering from social injustices. Historically, minority populations did not have a platform to raise their concerns, as mainstream media often overlooked their troubles (Nummi, 2019). Therefore, social media has emerged as a popular platform for activists and social justice movements to raise awareness for their concerns in controversial areas that the media prefers to avoid.
A notable example is the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which gained global attention thanks to the use of Twitter hashtags and the sharing of personal stories of discrimination in Instagram, Facebook, and other social media pages. The LGBTQ+ community had also been largely marginalized in the past, and their views seldom reached the mainstream media. However, the start of social media platforms has given the community a platform to express themselves, and now, the mainstream media is more tolerant of these marginalized communities.
Social media has also made it easy for people to access information and educational resources. Today, education is more accessible than ever, thanks to the many open-access platforms created for learners and knowledge seekers. Indeed, learning has been made possible for all people across the globe thanks to YouTube, where educators release content daily. Since the 1990s, online learning has increased, with studies showing that distance learning has grown dramatically over the last 14 years (Barger, 2020). This rise was, however, accelerated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced educational institutions to implement distance learning (Tadesse & Muluye, 2020). This democratization of education facilitated by social media platforms has improved education worldwide, particularly in areas that were limited in terms of opportunities.
Social Media as a Negative Force
Despite the many positive impacts of social media, the online communication and information dissemination tool has various disadvantages. It is, therefore, important for its cons to be comprehensively discussed so that a comprehensive conclusion can be formulated. Excessive use of social media is linked to social isolation of people (Boursier, 2020). People who often use social media platforms report feeling lonely and inadequate (Meshi, 2020). Have found that social media use is associated with increased depression cases, low self-esteem, and anxiety. These observations have shown that social media should always be used with caution.
Some social media platforms provide users with an opportunity to be able to converse anonymously. This feature enables people to communicate without fear of discrimination and has increased instances of cyber buying and online harassment. Cyberbullying is more common among adolescents and teenagers, who form a large portion of social media users.
Razi et al. (2020) in their study found that over half of all youth in the United States aged between 10 and 17 years have received at least one instance of bullying. Cyberbullying, however, is not restricted to the United States alone as it is a global issue. Although most regions do not have conclusive data regarding cyberbullying, it is generally agreed that it is common and mitigation measures must be taken to address this global issue.
While social media has enhanced how information is transferred from one place to another, it is also known to be a fertile ground for spreading misinformation. Some social media content creators have discovered that falsified information sells better than true news. Since social media information is not well regulated like mainstream media news, it has become a breeding place for people to spread false information.
Additionally, some social media creators have learned about the echo chamber effect, where people are more aligned with news that aligns with their views. Since social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can access a user’s data, they could tailor the information sent to a particular user relying on this effect. This may result in the reinforcement of wrong beliefs to a particular user.
The increased use of social media platforms has also resulted in the erosion of the personal privacy principles of many people across the globe. Many social media applications are designed in a manner that seeks to encourage users to share excessive information about themselves. The data people provide about themselves is then exploited for targeted marketing to make the most profit from the users. Today, many organizations are willing to pay social media organizations to advertise their products and services to target users using these techniques (Maria et al., 2019). However, user data exploitation goes beyond targeted marketing to include data breaches where personal information could be used to champion a certain political cause, as was in the case of the Cambridge Analytica Scandal.
Navigating Challenges and Harnessing Benefits
One of the challenges of social media use is misinformation, which could have far-reaching consequences and influence people’s public opinion on critical issues such as politics. Users of social media platforms must be encouraged to have a more discerning approach and cross-check facts before relying on information they get from social media. Another key challenge facing social media use is online toxicity, where people get involved in aggressive and bullying behaviors.
As discussed in the previous sections, online anonymity promotes this behavior. This problem could be addressed by muting and blocking individuals flagged for being involved in undesirable behaviors. The benefits allied to social media use can be curated to ensure a seamless experience for all. For instance, an inclusive environment that promotes knowledge sharing could promote intellectual and personal growth. Like-minded peers could also create common groups to share information and experiences.
Conclusion
Based on the discussions in this paper, it is clear that the pervasive use of social media has both positive and negative impacts. Social media is a constructive force that influences the social, cultural, economic, and political landscape in various ways. It facilitates how people across the globe communicate and has enabled people to know the cultures of minorities in different parts of the globe. It is also a common political tool, with many politicians paying a lot for their ads to be included on social media platforms.
Businesses that rely on social media have been found to enjoy better financial outcomes than those that do not, showing the positive impacts of its use. However, social media is associated with misinformation and toxicity, and people should have a discerning mind when using the information on social media. Future research needs to be done to find gaps and methods that can be used to make social media a source for social good and how to reduce its negative impacts.
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