Effects of Social Media on our Lives - Essay Example

“Turn off all notifications on your phone, except the most important ones. And check your social media only once or twice a day, not every minute. If you can do this, then perhaps there is a possibility that society will not completely lose its sanity and health after all.”- Abhijit Naskar

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We are living in a world where social media has consumed most of us, if not all, of us. We get lost in our phones and forget everything else happening around us. It could be your mother’s birthday. You are seated right there with her. You are yet to wish her a happy birthday. Instead, you pick your phone and proceed to the internet to wish her a happy birthday. She is not well-versed with the use of social media, and she’ll never see the message. Such is the sad state of affairs in the generation we are living in.

A dystopian perspective is that which glares into the future and draws the imagination of a universe that is totally out of our control and where a perfect society is but an illusion. It questions the unknown and wonders what could be. Owing to this explanation, how technology is slowly fostering broken social bonds is a common theme in most dystopian literature books.

One such book is Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. It is a dystopian book that envisions an America where books are illegal. Firemen are specifically tasked to burn any books they come across. To draw perspective on the book, it was written in the early 1950s at a time when Nazis had resorted to burning books. In the novel, Bradbury envisions a world where human beings find pleasure in staring at massive television screens at home. The interactions with people on the streets would be passive, as everyone would be enslaved in their world, listening to devices in their ears. Bradbury’s concern in on the threat this sudden surge of social media has on the reading culture.

Social media has directly impacted on the way we go about our everyday life. Some of these impacts are positive, whereas others are negative. For this study, my attention is drawn to the adverse effects. Communication has been dramatically affected. Whereas electronic messaging guarantees faster and easier conversation, the tone of whom you are conversing with can only be deciphered from having a call or communicating in person.

Further, studies have indicated that the intense use of social media results in stress and has adverse effects on our mental health. Everyone feels pressurized or obligated to impress or to fit a particular narrative. This often takes a toll on our lives, as we end up being susceptible to the not so positive thoughts and opinions others have on us.

Presently, it is difficult to imagine a world without social media. Everything seems so close, yet so far away. You can have access to an entire world, from the comfort of your room, with nothing but a gadget in your hands. All these prospects are daunting, but to what expense? Is it all worth it?

In his book, Bradbury fears that human beings would become victims of memory loss. Presently, all our emotions, dreams, and memories have been bestowed on Google and other social media platforms for ‘safe-keeping.’ He imagines just how simple it would be to rewrite some of the most significant moments in our history, simply because we are not in control of our memories anymore. The aspect of book-burning is metaphorical. It symbolizes the pain in having to endure the loss of something that was once deemed as valuable and was treasured.

Further, Bradbury held the conviction that we all have contributed to turning the world into what we witness today. We have let the world dictate our lives, rather than do it ourselves. Seeing the firemen burn books is akin to us embracing social media, regardless of the adverse effects it poses on us. In doing so, we have slowly let entertainment replace the culture of reading. Entertainment systems whose focus is on keeping the audience happy, at the expense of having it thoughtfully informed. Bradbury further avers that all our cultural heritage and knowledge have been entrusted to the digital archives. What then would our world turn into when one person hacks into this ‘digital archive’ and proceed to either rewrite or get rid of it all with the click of a button? Such is the fate that awaits us.

Various research studies have been conducted on social media in an attempt to determine its effects. First, anxiety as a result of social media results in restlessness and constant worry. Journal Computers and Human Behavior published a study that revealed that those who spent more than seven hours online were three times highly likely as people to acquire high levels of anxiety symptoms.

Charity Scope surveyed 1500 people who were between 18-34 years old. From the study, half of them affirmed that social media made them feel inadequate. Self-esteem issues in many young women are caused partly by Women’s magazines. It continually uses photos of underweight models to depict true beauty. This narrative has played a significant role in other women feeling insufficient. This explains the obsession with the use of online filters while posting a photo.

Penn State University researchers, based on a study they conducted in 2016, determined that seeing the selfies of others lowered self-esteem. That those who used social media often made comparisons of themselves and the people who seemed to be at their happiest. They decided further that females often perceived themselves negatively after seeing pictures of their counterparts.

A study involving 1,000 Facebook users from Sweden came to the conclusion that Facebook users are left unhappy when they come across posts of others who seem to be doing better in their careers and relationships. This affirms that self-esteem is not only dented by selfies.

From the case study examples presented above, it is apparent that social media does contribute to envy, depression, general anxiety, decreased social skills, etc. we view the world as highly connected through social media. Still, in the real sense, we are disconnected from each other. Physically, in the literal sense, and illusional in the more profound understanding.

Always making updates on social media deceives you that you have connected adequately with others. However, it is impossible to recreate the elements of tone, body language, and the physical presence of a person online. Social media has the effect of causing one to lose out on social skills that are necessary for success in life.

The silver lining in all these effects of social media is that they can be handled successfully. It is impossible to do away with social media. As it is, it proves to be a necessary evil. However, the effects of anxiety, depression, self-esteem, etc., can be mitigated. It is prudent to develop a culture that is not pegged on social media. The only way to win this battle is through natural solutions.

Before social media, people had lived and they comfortably went about it. When you awake in the morning, try going for a jog, or read a book, rather than reach out for your phone. People need to make an effort to develop their social skills. If every reply we gave on the internet is took away energy from our offline friendships, where would we be? It is difficult to perceive this contemporary world without the influence of social media on it. We can only be in touch with as many people as our energy allows to, as we are limited. The late-night conversations we often have with strangers on the internet, eat into what is left of our energy, such that we are unable to care appropriately for those who are well-known to us. Therefore, make conversations with the people around you, rather than spending time communicating virtually with those who are miles away.

Further, everyone needs to understand that social media is all about perception. Everyone wants to create the impression of a life with no impediments, or full of happiness, etc. This is how best to beat the issue of self-esteem. We need to appreciate ourselves and value the little things in our lives that matter. Be who and what you are and not what seems to be colon the internet. Taking a break regularly from phones or laptops can help let in quality, peaceful time. In addition to that, trim down on the time you spend on the internet.

We all have to understand that everyone has issues, and no one exists in perfection. We may not have the same struggles, but all our challenges. Do not waste any more of your time comparing yourself to people you meet on social media. We need to embrace our imperfections. This is not just about what you tell others; instead, how you view your life. The obsession with online-perfectionism is detrimental to our health and well-being. We all need to take a step back, relax, and let ourselves be vulnerable in our imperfections.

Works Cited

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/social-media-addiction