The emergence of social media has affected the development of the Internet towards integration and combining capabilities. It enables people to communicate with friends, find new acquaintances of interest, and learn something new. Over the past few years, it has become an integral part of people’s daily lives, which has undoubtedly changed the way they communicate and individual behavior. Social media is a significant technological advance, which provides many opportunities for the world. However, it also has a negative side since there is a risk that its use will be extremely harmful to the individual’s psyche. As a consequence, social media exerts both negative and positive effects.
Frequently, under the use of social networks by people, a deep human desire to be heard, seen, perceived in the way they present themselves hides. One of the articles in the Miller’s book , “The Comfort of a Digital Confidante,“ presents the idea that, depending on human inclinations, desire for socialization or narcissism is motivated by people’s social media use (414). The latter is guided by the fact that other humans also see the best picture of their reality. Such people receive enjoyable emotions from related approval marks; thus, they have a desire to publish and receive a new response endlessly. In especially advanced cases, it can lead to narcissistic personality disorder.
My own experience with Instagram confirms that it creates life in miniature, and frequently, the owners of accounts themselves cannot define where the reality is and where the fiction of their online portraits is. It is expressed in image editing, creating a culture of cultivation and polishing among this network’s users. At the same time, the idealization of the image is not the ultimate goal of such users; in fact, they strive to have an ideal audience that would see them as they want to be (Miller 416). In other words, they tend to an imaginary interlocutor who, in comparison with the real, always perceives them the way they want.
Social media have tremendous addictive potential because people cannot stop receiving imaginary approval, as attached in the case above, or consume an endless amount of unnecessary information. According to a Facebook-sponsored study described in the article “Can’t Quit the Clicks: The Rise of Social Media Rehab,” 80 percent of users activate their phones within fifteen minutes ofwaking awaking to wake (Miller 417). In fact, without having time to fully open their eyes, people are already inserting the phone and looking at the tape with a stream of meaningless information. Thus, society accustoms to the constant receipt of information and begins to feel breakdown if it does not happen.
Working in the mode of a constant flow of information and replacing each other emotional impressions, the brain gets extremely tired while the organism experiences stress. Emotions do not receive development in response to incoming feelings since it requires time and peace, which are absent in the conditions of convulsive assimilation of information. Simultaneously, physicians do not seek a solution to this addiction in a complete rejection of social media, as they do not search for a cure for bulimia in an absolute refusal to eat (Miller 418). It is explained by the fact that there is no sense in renouncing what can bring an unconditionally positive effect, particularly getting the truly helpful and needful information. Instead, it is necessary to understand the reason for addiction, for example, escape from reality, and use social technology purposefully and meaningfully in the future.
Another adverse effect associated with the use of social networks is related to the absorption by the virtual world and the departure from the real as a result. Despite all the communication and continuous connections, which social technology supposedly provides, it destroys a vital thing: real open dialogue, as stated in the article “The Public Square” (Miller 440). I agree with this point because I notice that with more in-depth use of social networks, it became more difficult for me to converse in real-time. People lose their offline communication skills and face escape from the conversation as they are accustomed to online socializing. While texting on social media, they replace their emotions with smileys; at the same time, topics of conversation change frequently and quickly. Thus, in a sufficiently short time, users have time to discuss a large number of topics, receiving information from each other in a capacious, uncomplicated form. However, in a hurry to be heard by people on the Internet, they lose precious communication minutes with the closest people.
The adverse effects of social media hold a special place in the case of the current generation, who grew up in the century of the digital revolution. Currently, children from the age of three become dependent on mobile devices, which occasions them possible long-term damage and harms their development (Digital Addicts). Moreover, Rushkoff reveals the ways numerous corporations use this fact and turn likes into their profit (Generation Like). Teens can interact directly with brands, movies, celebrities they like. It gives them the opportunity to connect with something unattainable and a sense of expansion of their capabilities. Similarly, I also like to periodically look through the information about my favorite films or interviews with actors about fieldwork. However, all of this is nothing more than a marketing concept by their creators aimed at generating more attention and popularity for the film, which creates another basis for dependence on social technology.
Finally, despite all the evidence above and examples of the negative effects provided by social media and technology, it can still bring undeniable benefits. In particular, social technologies give an opportunity to communicate with relatives and friends living in other countries and cities, thus do not lose connection with them. In addition, social media can be used as a way for self-development by learning foreign languages and sport exercising through various teaching articles and videos. Moreover, it significantly facilitates the educational process since it provides an opportunity to exchange notes and other useful information and study in detail the issues joining communities of a specific subject.
To summarize, social media and technology have both negative and positive consequences. It is mistaken to say that social networks bring only harm because with a disciplined approach and understanding the cause of addiction, it is possible to get much more benefit from them. In particular, balance is a critical point, which is subjective to everyone. In addition, it must be remembered that real communication with close people must be of paramount importance. Moreover, there is no need to strive for an equally perfect picture in a profile because each person is unique, and every life is exceptional and exciting. There is nothing wrong with the misunderstanding, which people seek to fill, striving to ensure that others perceive them only the way they want. Different points, on the contrary, are the basis of progress and development.
Works CitedReferences
Digital Addicts. Directed by Paul Moreira and Adele Flaux, Premieres Lignes Television, 2018.
Generation Like. Directed by Douglas Rushkoff, Frontline, 2014.
Miller, James S. Acting out Culture: Readings for Critical Inquiry. 4th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2017.