It’s hard to accept that social media has now become a crucial part of our daily course as a decade ago, social media was just a growing trend. Sure, some websites offered online chatting and could make online friends using apps such as Friendster and MySpace.
If we look back we can see that individuals used to use Facebook, Orkut and many other social networking websites but not to this extent. Twitter was considered pointless, LinkedIn was a digital resume uploading site. No one used to use Google+ or talk about it as they had no idea about it and many other platforms, which are now popular.
This states that everything has officially and permanently changed. Nothing is permanent, change is needed but not at the cost of forgetting our past.
Also Read: The Bitter Side of Social Media—Infographic
There are 2 parts to everything. The Good and the Bad, it depends on us that we fall for which side. But before we discuss the Bad part let’s take a look at the Good part. Let’s start by seeing the positive part of social media and the things it has done and added to our lives. Here are some of the better things, I hope you will agree with me.
Instant Access to Information
Social media is very helpful for circulating a piece of information, the news is shared proactively with complete content. We can even get bits of news that are missed out in the news. Recently Twitter has attracted my attention where I was able to check all the latest news as it was being posted regularly, with all updates. Also there is no shortage of viewpoints and sources from which we can draw our conclusions about what is happening in the world. Now before the news is printed on the paper we have it live in front of us.
Easy Connectivity with Others
Do you remember those old days where to catch up with people over the call and to know who is calling was not possible? The phones had no caller ID, no answering machines, you had to either call back or try to catch them in real-time, to connect.
But, today it’s not the case if you can’t connect with someone on the phone, you can leave a voicemail, or send a text. Or even better, tweet, send Facebook messages or use any other source. You can keep a check if others have received the message, or not. Now, it’s not hard to catch up with someone, you can locate anyone’s location.
Globalized Expressions
Similar to the phone condition, it was extremely difficult to share opinions on a global platform. In the early 1990s, it was difficult to connect with people and share our articles or blogs.
Today all has changed, a simple login to our platform of choice does everything smoothly for us. We can outburst our anger, tell jokes, share images, and share almost anything with anyone via social media. For those of us who can write, and want to share their thoughts, articles with others can create a blog in a couple of minutes and start putting our thoughts into words.
It is easier to do something extraordinary and noticeable and to reach people across the planet than it has been in the past. We now have a truly globalized platform to share our voices. What a privilege!
More Business Exposure
Some of us may not agree with me but globalization and easy connectivity with social networks have helped to grow businesses across the world. Earlier it was not that easy to connect with people and share ideas.
In the old days, a company had to spend thousands or even millions of dollars to sustain itself in the market, and large companies with deep pockets ruled the market. Only they could afford to have a wider scope.
Now, a small company can even achieve global reach, share ideas, and create new things that can change the way the world looks at things. Social Media has provided a means to have a voice on par with the big dogs and it spreads news like wildfire.
Also Read: 7 Top Social Network Apps You Can’t Live Without — Infographic
Social Media: The Bad Part
It would not be justified to only highlight the good part of social media and not show the other side. Here are some of the things that will make you close the browser window and move on.
Selfies
It’s a trend to click selfies if you do not do that you are not considered cool. You should click a selfie if you are out with friends, on an outing or dressed up for a party. No matter where you are, and what you are doing, all are stuck with their smartphones and busy taking selfies.
Individuals do not even pay attention to the place where they are. What they look for is a picture, to get comments and likes. Even if someone is dying or there is a natural calamity, the first thing is to take a selfie and post it on social media. It’s nothing more than madness, if you aim to post selfies, please take at least a moment to check whether it is self-loving or a Social fever? In many cases, the answer will be yes. So resist that urge and post what is necessary especially if posting to a business page or Twitter account.
Political Rants
I have to admit when it comes to politics, religion, or any other personal area of life, a discussion gets argumentative very easily. If you have a different belief system from someone else and want to keep your point or prove it you are more likely to fight to defend it rather than understand others viewpoints. These are very delicate topics, and it’s too easy for the conversation to change into personal attacks. Avoid them now, it’s not worth losing a friend or colleague over nothing more than a difference of opinion.
Social media is meant to be social, it’s not a boxing ring let it be just a platform to share your thoughts. Don’t let it affect your personal or professional life.
Attacking One Another Anonymously
It’s not easy to shield your identity these days, but anonymity has been a key piece of the internet. It’s amazing to know what all people do to hide their identity. This behavior makes the whole internet, and particularly social media, less useful and enjoyable. If you want to say something and are afraid to have anyone know you said it, you should not put it on social media and use your common sense before putting it out there. Attacking someone anonymously is not only craven, it even shows how weak you are.
All Talk, No Action
In recent years, we’ve seen a ton of hashtag activities across social media, it has become a trend. The idea behind these hashtag posts is to get likes and challenge others to take part, targeting to spread messages.
But this is all talk, if there is an issue that needs attention and action is to be taken then why not take real action? Facebook is making people go crazy over social media, but not pushing individuals to take action to fix the problem. Expressing on social media won’t fix a thing; it just stirs the pot.
There are plenty of things to do rather than scrolling Facebook, stand up and take some action. Not only will it make a real difference, but it will make you feel better inside.
Increased Unawareness
Ignorance is bliss but you cannot ignore what’s going on around you. You see different posts highlighting some serious issues or something that needs quick action. It’s easy to ignore such posts or share them but it’s also important to realize that this stuff is going on out there. The world is not a perfect place, that’s a fact. If something offends you, work for it, don’t just share.
Sharing such posts is like feeding the trolls, the more attention you give to this behavior, and the more the person spewing it feels compelled to continue the behavior. Let’s focus on the positive because the negative gets old and tired.
Additionally, we would like you to install a time tracking application on your device to curb the addiction. Social Fever is one such Android application thatcan be used to set time limits for social media applications. It is of great help to all Android users in keeping a track of their phone usage. It will show you daily reports to help you understand the time wasted in the doom scrolling and encourage you to spend Quality time.
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