impact of social media on our life essay

Feb 15, 2023

6 Example Essays on Social Media | Advantages, Effects, and Outlines

Got an essay assignment about the effects of social media we got you covered check out our examples and outlines below.

Social media has become one of our society's most prominent ways of communication and information sharing in a very short time. It has changed how we communicate and has given us a platform to express our views and opinions and connect with others. It keeps us informed about the world around us. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn have brought individuals from all over the world together, breaking down geographical borders and fostering a genuinely global community.

However, social media comes with its difficulties. With the rise of misinformation, cyberbullying, and privacy problems, it's critical to utilize these platforms properly and be aware of the risks. Students in the academic world are frequently assigned essays about the impact of social media on numerous elements of our lives, such as relationships, politics, and culture. These essays necessitate a thorough comprehension of the subject matter, critical thinking, and the ability to synthesize and convey information clearly and succinctly.

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We will provide various examples of social media essays so you may get a feel for the genre.

6 Examples of Social Media Essays

Here are 6 examples of Social Media Essays:

The Impact of Social Media on Relationships and Communication

Introduction:.

The way we share information and build relationships has evolved as a direct result of the prevalence of social media in our daily lives. The influence of social media on interpersonal connections and conversation is a hot topic. Although social media has many positive effects, such as bringing people together regardless of physical proximity and making communication quicker and more accessible, it also has a dark side that can affect interpersonal connections and dialogue.

Positive Effects:

Connecting People Across Distances

One of social media's most significant benefits is its ability to connect individuals across long distances. People can use social media platforms to interact and stay in touch with friends and family far away. People can now maintain intimate relationships with those they care about, even when physically separated.

Improved Communication Speed and Efficiency

Additionally, the proliferation of social media sites has accelerated and simplified communication. Thanks to instant messaging, users can have short, timely conversations rather than lengthy ones via email. Furthermore, social media facilitates group communication, such as with classmates or employees, by providing a unified forum for such activities.

Negative Effects:

Decreased Face-to-Face Communication

The decline in in-person interaction is one of social media's most pernicious consequences on interpersonal connections and dialogue. People's reliance on digital communication over in-person contact has increased along with the popularity of social media. Face-to-face interaction has suffered as a result, which has adverse effects on interpersonal relationships and the development of social skills.

Decreased Emotional Intimacy

Another adverse effect of social media on relationships and communication is decreased emotional intimacy. Digital communication lacks the nonverbal cues and facial expressions critical in building emotional connections with others. This can make it more difficult for people to develop close and meaningful relationships, leading to increased loneliness and isolation.

Increased Conflict and Miscommunication

Finally, social media can also lead to increased conflict and miscommunication. The anonymity and distance provided by digital communication can lead to misunderstandings and hurtful comments that might not have been made face-to-face. Additionally, social media can provide a platform for cyberbullying , which can have severe consequences for the victim's mental health and well-being.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the impact of social media on relationships and communication is a complex issue with both positive and negative effects. While social media platforms offer many benefits, such as connecting people across distances and enabling faster and more accessible communication, they also have a dark side that can negatively affect relationships and communication. It is up to individuals to use social media responsibly and to prioritize in-person communication in their relationships and interactions with others.

The Role of Social Media in the Spread of Misinformation and Fake News

Social media has revolutionized the way information is shared and disseminated. However, the ease and speed at which data can be spread on social media also make it a powerful tool for spreading misinformation and fake news. Misinformation and fake news can seriously affect public opinion, influence political decisions, and even cause harm to individuals and communities.

The Pervasiveness of Misinformation and Fake News on Social Media

Misinformation and fake news are prevalent on social media platforms, where they can spread quickly and reach a large audience. This is partly due to the way social media algorithms work, which prioritizes content likely to generate engagement, such as sensational or controversial stories. As a result, false information can spread rapidly and be widely shared before it is fact-checked or debunked.

The Influence of Social Media on Public Opinion

Social media can significantly impact public opinion, as people are likelier to believe the information they see shared by their friends and followers. This can lead to a self-reinforcing cycle, where misinformation and fake news are spread and reinforced, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

The Challenge of Correcting Misinformation and Fake News

Correcting misinformation and fake news on social media can be a challenging task. This is partly due to the speed at which false information can spread and the difficulty of reaching the same audience exposed to the wrong information in the first place. Additionally, some individuals may be resistant to accepting correction, primarily if the incorrect information supports their beliefs or biases.

In conclusion, the function of social media in disseminating misinformation and fake news is complex and urgent. While social media has revolutionized the sharing of information, it has also made it simpler for false information to propagate and be widely believed. Individuals must be accountable for the information they share and consume, and social media firms must take measures to prevent the spread of disinformation and fake news on their platforms.

The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and Well-Being

Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of people around the world using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay connected with others and access information. However, while social media has many benefits, it can also negatively affect mental health and well-being.

Comparison and Low Self-Esteem

One of the key ways that social media can affect mental health is by promoting feelings of comparison and low self-esteem. People often present a curated version of their lives on social media, highlighting their successes and hiding their struggles. This can lead others to compare themselves unfavorably, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

Another way that social media can negatively impact mental health is through cyberbullying and online harassment. Social media provides a platform for anonymous individuals to harass and abuse others, leading to feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

Social Isolation

Despite its name, social media can also contribute to feelings of isolation. At the same time, people may have many online friends but need more meaningful in-person connections and support. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression.

Addiction and Overuse

Finally, social media can be addictive, leading to overuse and negatively impacting mental health and well-being. People may spend hours each day scrolling through their feeds, neglecting other important areas of their lives, such as work, family, and self-care.

In sum, social media has positive and negative consequences on one's psychological and emotional well-being. Realizing this, and taking measures like reducing one's social media use, reaching out to loved ones for help, and prioritizing one's well-being, are crucial. In addition, it's vital that social media giants take ownership of their platforms and actively encourage excellent mental health and well-being.

The Use of Social Media in Political Activism and Social Movements

Social media has recently become increasingly crucial in political action and social movements. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have given people new ways to express themselves, organize protests, and raise awareness about social and political issues.

Raising Awareness and Mobilizing Action

One of the most important uses of social media in political activity and social movements has been to raise awareness about important issues and mobilize action. Hashtags such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, for example, have brought attention to sexual harassment and racial injustice, respectively. Similarly, social media has been used to organize protests and other political actions, allowing people to band together and express themselves on a bigger scale.

Connecting with like-minded individuals

A second method in that social media has been utilized in political activity and social movements is to unite like-minded individuals. Through social media, individuals can join online groups, share knowledge and resources, and work with others to accomplish shared objectives. This has been especially significant for geographically scattered individuals or those without access to traditional means of political organizing.

Challenges and Limitations

As a vehicle for political action and social movements, social media has faced many obstacles and restrictions despite its many advantages. For instance, the propagation of misinformation and fake news on social media can impede attempts to disseminate accurate and reliable information. In addition, social media corporations have been condemned for censorship and insufficient protection of user rights.

In conclusion, social media has emerged as a potent instrument for political activism and social movements, giving voice to previously unheard communities and galvanizing support for change. Social media presents many opportunities for communication and collaboration. Still, users and institutions must be conscious of the risks and limitations of these tools to promote their responsible and productive usage.

The Potential Privacy Concerns Raised by Social Media Use and Data Collection Practices

With billions of users each day on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, social media has ingrained itself into every aspect of our lives. While these platforms offer a straightforward method to communicate with others and exchange information, they also raise significant concerns over data collecting and privacy. This article will examine the possible privacy issues posed by social media use and data-gathering techniques.

Data Collection and Sharing

The gathering and sharing of personal data are significant privacy issues brought up by social media use. Social networking sites gather user data, including details about their relationships, hobbies, and routines. This information is made available to third-party businesses for various uses, such as marketing and advertising. This can lead to serious concerns about who has access to and uses our personal information.

Lack of Control Over Personal Information

The absence of user control over personal information is a significant privacy issue brought up by social media usage. Social media makes it challenging to limit who has access to and how data is utilized once it has been posted. Sensitive information may end up being extensively disseminated and may be used maliciously as a result.

Personalized Marketing

Social media companies utilize the information they gather about users to target them with adverts relevant to their interests and usage patterns. Although this could be useful, it might also cause consumers to worry about their privacy since they might feel that their personal information is being used without their permission. Furthermore, there are issues with the integrity of the data being used to target users and the possibility of prejudice based on individual traits.

Government Surveillance

Using social media might spark worries about government surveillance. There are significant concerns regarding privacy and free expression when governments in some nations utilize social media platforms to follow and monitor residents.

In conclusion, social media use raises significant concerns regarding data collecting and privacy. While these platforms make it easy to interact with people and exchange information, they also gather a lot of personal information, which raises questions about who may access it and how it will be used. Users should be aware of these privacy issues and take precautions to safeguard their personal information, such as exercising caution when choosing what details to disclose on social media and keeping their information sharing with other firms to a minimum.

The Ethical and Privacy Concerns Surrounding Social Media Use And Data Collection

Our use of social media to communicate with loved ones, acquire information, and even conduct business has become a crucial part of our everyday lives. The extensive use of social media does, however, raise some ethical and privacy issues that must be resolved. The influence of social media use and data collecting on user rights, the accountability of social media businesses, and the need for improved regulation are all topics that will be covered in this article.

Effect on Individual Privacy:

Social networking sites gather tons of personal data from their users, including delicate information like search history, location data, and even health data. Each user's detailed profile may be created with this data and sold to advertising or used for other reasons. Concerns regarding the privacy of personal information might arise because social media businesses can use this data to target users with customized adverts.

Additionally, individuals might need to know how much their personal information is being gathered and exploited. Data breaches or the unauthorized sharing of personal information with other parties may result in instances where sensitive information is exposed. Users should be aware of the privacy rules of social media firms and take precautions to secure their data.

Responsibility of Social Media Companies:

Social media firms should ensure that they responsibly and ethically gather and use user information. This entails establishing strong security measures to safeguard sensitive information and ensuring users are informed of what information is being collected and how it is used.

Many social media businesses, nevertheless, have come under fire for not upholding these obligations. For instance, the Cambridge Analytica incident highlighted how Facebook users' personal information was exploited for political objectives without their knowledge. This demonstrates the necessity of social media corporations being held responsible for their deeds and ensuring that they are safeguarding the security and privacy of their users.

Better Regulation Is Needed

There is a need for tighter regulation in this field, given the effect, social media has on individual privacy as well as the obligations of social media firms. The creation of laws and regulations that ensure social media companies are gathering and using user information ethically and responsibly, as well as making sure users are aware of their rights and have the ability to control the information that is being collected about them, are all part of this.

Additionally, legislation should ensure that social media businesses are held responsible for their behavior, for example, by levying fines for data breaches or the unauthorized use of personal data. This will provide social media businesses with a significant incentive to prioritize their users' privacy and security and ensure they are upholding their obligations.

In conclusion, social media has fundamentally changed how we engage and communicate with one another, but this increased convenience also raises several ethical and privacy issues. Essential concerns that need to be addressed include the effect of social media on individual privacy, the accountability of social media businesses, and the requirement for greater regulation to safeguard user rights. We can make everyone's online experience safer and more secure by looking more closely at these issues.

In conclusion, social media is a complex and multifaceted topic that has recently captured the world's attention. With its ever-growing influence on our lives, it's no surprise that it has become a popular subject for students to explore in their writing. Whether you are writing an argumentative essay on the impact of social media on privacy, a persuasive essay on the role of social media in politics, or a descriptive essay on the changes social media has brought to the way we communicate, there are countless angles to approach this subject.

However, writing a comprehensive and well-researched essay on social media can be daunting. It requires a thorough understanding of the topic and the ability to articulate your ideas clearly and concisely. This is where Jenni.ai comes in. Our AI-powered tool is designed to help students like you save time and energy and focus on what truly matters - your education. With Jenni.ai , you'll have access to a wealth of examples and receive personalized writing suggestions and feedback.

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Social Media — Social Media Impact On Society

Social Media Impact on Society

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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A business journal from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

The Impact of Social Media: Is it Irreplaceable?

July 26, 2019 • 15 min read.

Social media as we know it has barely reached its 20th birthday, but it’s changed the fabric of everyday life. What does the future hold for the sector and the players currently at the top?

• Public Policy

In little more than a decade, the impact of social media has gone from being an entertaining extra to a fully integrated part of nearly every aspect of daily life for many.

Recently in the realm of commerce, Facebook faced skepticism in its testimony to the Senate Banking Committee on Libra, its proposed cryptocurrency and alternative financial system . In politics, heartthrob Justin Bieber tweeted the President of the United States, imploring him to “let those kids out of cages.” In law enforcement, the Philadelphia police department moved to terminate more than a dozen police officers after their racist comments on social media were revealed.

And in the ultimate meshing of the digital and physical worlds, Elon Musk raised the specter of essentially removing the space between social and media through the invention — at some future time — of a brain implant that connects human tissue to computer chips.

All this, in the span of about a week.

As quickly as social media has insinuated itself into politics, the workplace, home life, and elsewhere, it continues to evolve at lightning speed, making it tricky to predict which way it will morph next. It’s hard to recall now, but SixDegrees.com, Friendster, and Makeoutclub.com were each once the next big thing, while one survivor has continued to grow in astonishing ways. In 2006, Facebook had 7.3 million registered users and reportedly turned down a $750 million buyout offer. In the first quarter of 2019, the company could claim 2.38 billion active users, with a market capitalization hovering around half a trillion dollars.

“In 2007 I argued that Facebook might not be around in 15 years. I’m clearly wrong, but it is interesting to see how things have changed,” says Jonah Berger, Wharton marketing professor and author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On . The challenge going forward is not just having the best features, but staying relevant, he says. “Social media isn’t a utility. It’s not like power or water where all people care about is whether it works. Young people care about what using one platform or another says about them. It’s not cool to use the same site as your parents and grandparents, so they’re always looking for the hot new thing.”

Just a dozen years ago, everyone was talking about a different set of social networking services, “and I don’t think anyone quite expected Facebook to become so huge and so dominant,” says Kevin Werbach, Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics. “At that point, this was an interesting discussion about tech start-ups.

“Today, Facebook is one of the most valuable companies on earth and front and center in a whole range of public policy debates, so the scope of issues we’re thinking about with social media are broader than then,” Werbach adds.

Cambridge Analytica , the impact of social media on the last presidential election and other issues may have eroded public trust, Werbach said, but “social media has become really fundamental to the way that billions of people get information about the world and connect with each other, which raises the stakes enormously.”

Just Say No

“Facebook is dangerous,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) at July’s hearing of the Senate Banking Committee. “Facebook has said, ‘just trust us.’ And every time Americans trust you, they seem to get burned.”

Social media has plenty of detractors, but by and large, do Americans agree with Brown’s sentiment? In 2018, 42% of those surveyed in a Pew Research Center survey said they had taken a break from checking the platform for a period of several weeks or more, while 26% said they had deleted the Facebook app from their cellphone.

A year later, though, despite the reputational beating social media had taken, the 2019 iteration of the same Pew survey found social media use unchanged from 2018.

Facebook has its critics, says Wharton marketing professor Pinar Yildirim, and they are mainly concerned about two things: mishandling consumer data and poorly managing access to it by third-party providers; and the level of disinformation spreading on Facebook.

“Social media isn’t a utility. It’s not like power or water where all people care about is whether it works. Young people care about what using one platform or another says about them.” –Jonah Berger

“The question is, are we at a point where the social media organizations and their activities should be regulated for the benefit of the consumer? I do not think more regulation will necessarily help, but certainly this is what is on the table,” says Yildirim. “In the period leading to the [2020 U.S. presidential] elections, we will hear a range of discussions about regulation on the tech industry.”

Some proposals relate to stricter regulation on collection and use of consumer data, Yildirim adds, noting that the European Union already moved to stricter regulations last year by adopting the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) . “A number of companies in the U.S. and around the world adopted the GDPR protocol for all of their customers, not just for the residents of EU,” she says. “We will likely hear more discussions on regulation of such data, and we will likely see stricter regulation of this data.”

The other discussion bound to intensify is around the separation of Big Tech into smaller, easier to regulate units. “Most of us academics do not think that dividing organizations into smaller units is sufficient to improve their compliance with regulation. It also does not necessarily mean they will be less competitive,” says Yildirim. “For instance, in the discussion of Facebook, it is not even clear yet how breaking up the company would work, given that it does not have very clear boundaries between different business units.”

Even if such regulations never come to pass, the discussions “may nevertheless hurt Big Tech financially, given that most companies are publicly traded and it adds to the uncertainty,” Yildirim notes.

One prominent commentator about the negative impact of social media is Jaron Lanier, whose fervent opposition makes itself apparent in the plainspoken title of his 2018 book Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now . He cites loss of free will, social media’s erosion of the truth and destruction of empathy, its tendency to make people unhappy, and the way in which it is “making politics impossible.” The title of the last chapter: “Social Media Hates Your Soul.”

Lanier is no tech troglodyte. A polymath who bridges the digital and analog realms, he is a musician and writer, has worked as a scientist for Microsoft, and was co-founder of pioneering virtual reality company VPL Research. The nastiness that online existence brings out in users “turned out to be like crude oil for the social media companies and other behavior manipulation empires that quickly came to dominate the internet, because it fuelled negative behavioral feedback,” he writes.

“Social media has become really fundamental to the way that billions of people get information about the world and connect with each other, which raises the stakes enormously.” –Kevin Werbach

Worse, there is an addictive quality to social media, and that is a big issue, says Berger. “Social media is like a drug, but what makes it particularly addictive is that it is adaptive. It adjusts based on your preferences and behaviors,” he says, “which makes it both more useful and engaging and interesting, and more addictive.”

The effect of that drug on mental health is only beginning to be examined, but a recent University of Pennsylvania study makes the case that limiting use of social media can be a good thing. Researchers looked at a group of 143 Penn undergraduates, using baseline monitoring and randomly assigning each to either a group limiting Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat use to 10 minutes per platform per day, or to one told to use social media as usual for three weeks. The results, published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology , showed significant reductions in loneliness and depression over three weeks in the group limiting use compared to the control group.

However, “both groups showed significant decreases in anxiety and fear of missing out over baseline, suggesting a benefit of increased self-monitoring,” wrote the authors of “ No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression .”

Monetizing a League (and a Reality) All Their Own

No one, though, is predicting that social media is a fad that will pass like its analog antecedent of the 1970s, citizens band radio. It will, however, evolve. The idea of social media as just a way to reconnect with high school friends seems quaint now. The impact of social media today is a big tent, including not only networks like Facebook, but also forums like Reddit and video-sharing platforms.

“The question is, are we at a point where the social media organizations and their activities should be regulated for the benefit of the consumer?” –Pinar Yildirim

Virtual worlds and gaming have become a major part of the sector, too. Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader says gamers are creating their own user-generated content through virtual worlds — and the revenue to go with it. He points to one group of gamers that use Grand Theft Auto as a kind of stage or departure point “to have their own virtual show.” In NoPixel, the Grand Theft Auto roleplaying server, “not much really happens and millions are tuning in to watch them. Just watching, not even participating, and it’s either live-streamed or recorded. And people are making donations to support this thing. The gamers are making hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“Now imagine having a 30-person reality show all filmed live and you can take the perspective of one person and then watch it again from another person’s perspective,” he continues. “Along the way, they can have a tip jar or talk about things they endorse. That kind of immersive media starts to build the bridge to what we like to get out of TV, but even better. Those things are on the periphery right now, but I think they are going to take over.”

Big players have noticed the potential of virtual sports and are getting into the act. In a striking example of the physical world imitating the digital one, media companies are putting up real-life stadiums where teams compete in video games. Comcast Spectator in March announced that it is building a new $50 million stadium in South Philadelphia that will be the home of the Philadelphia Fusion, the city’s e-sports team in the Overwatch League.

E-sports is serious business, with revenues globally — including advertising, sponsorships, and media rights — expected to reach $1.1 billion in 2019, according to gaming industry analytics company Newzoo.

“E-sports is absolutely here to stay,” says Fader, “and I think it’s a safe bet to say that e-sports will dominate most traditional sports, managing far more revenue and having more impact on our consciousness than baseball.”

It’s no surprise, then, that Facebook has begun making deals to carry e-sports content. In fact, it is diversification like this that may keep Facebook from ending up like its failed upstart peers. One thing that Facebook has managed to do that MySpace, Friendster, and others didn’t, is “a very good job of creating functional integration with the value they are delivering, as opposed to being a place to just share photos or send messages, it serves a lot of diversified functions,” says Keith E. Niedermeier, director of Wharton’s undergraduate marketing program and an adjunct professor of marketing. “They are creating groups and group connections, but you see them moving into lots of other services like streaming entertainment, mobile payments, and customer-to-customer buying and selling.”

“[WeChat] has really instantiated itself as a day-to-day tool in China, and it’s clear to me that Facebook would like to emulate that sort of thing.” –Keith Niedermeier

In China, WeChat has become the biggest mobile payment platform in the world and it is the platform for many third-party apps for things like bike sharing and ordering airplane tickets. “It has really instantiated itself as a day-to-day tool in China, and it’s clear to me that Facebook would like to emulate that sort of thing,” says Niedermeier.

Among nascent social media platforms that are particularly promising right now, Yildirim says that “social media platforms which are directed at achieving some objectives with smaller scale and more homogenous people stand a higher chance of entering the market and being able to compete with large, general-purpose platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.”

Irreplaceable – and Damaging?

Of course, many have begun to believe that the biggest challenge around the impact of social media may be the way it is changing society. The “attention-grabbing algorithms underlying social media … propel authoritarian practices that aim to sow confusion, ignorance, prejudice, and chaos, thereby facilitating manipulation and undermining accountability,” writes University of Toronto political science professor Ronald Deibert in a January essay in the Journal of Democracy .

Berger notes that any piece of information can now get attention, whether it is true or false. This means more potential for movements both welcome as well as malevolent. “Before, only media companies had reach, so it was harder for false information to spread. It could happen, but it was slow. Now anyone can share anything, and because people tend to believe what they see, false information can spread just as, if not more easily, than the truth.

“It’s certainly allowed more things to bubble up rather than flow from the top down,” says Berger. Absent gatekeepers, “everyone is their own media company, broadcasting to the particular set of people that follow them. It used to be that a major label signing you was the path to stardom. Now artists can build their own following online and break through that way. Social media has certainly made fame and attention more democratic, though not always in a good way.”

Deibert writes that “in a short period of time, digital technologies have become pervasive and deeply embedded in all that we do. Unwinding them completely is neither possible nor desirable.”

His cri de coeur argues: that citizens have the right to know what companies and governments are doing with their personal data, and that this right be extended internationally to hold autocratic regimes to account; that companies be barred from selling products and services that enable infringements on human rights and harms to civil society; for the creation of independent agencies with real power to hold social-media platforms to account; and the creation and enforcement of strong antitrust laws to end dominance of a very few social-media companies.

“Social media has certainly made fame and attention more democratic, though not always in a good way.” –Jonah Berger

The rising tide of concern is now extending across sectors. The U.S. Justice Department has recently begun an anti-trust investigation into how tech companies operate in social media, search, and retail services. In July, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced the award of nearly $50 million in new funding to 11 U.S. universities to research how technology is transforming democracy. The foundation is also soliciting additional grant proposals to fund policy and legal research into the “rules, norms, and governance” that should be applied to social media and technology companies.

Given all of the reasons not to engage with social media — the privacy issues, the slippery-slope addiction aspect of it, its role in spreading incivility — do we want to try to put the genie back in the bottle? Can we? Does social media definitely have a future?

“Yes, surely it does,” says Yildirim. “Social connections are fabrics of society. Just as the telegraph or telephone as an innovation of communication did not reduce social connectivity, online social networks did not either. If anything, it likely increased connectivity, or reduced the cost of communicating with others.”

It is thanks to online social networks that individuals likely have larger social networks, she says, and while many criticize the fact that we are in touch with large numbers of individuals in a superficial way, these light connections may nevertheless be contributing to our lives when it comes to economic and social outcomes — ranging from finding jobs to meeting new people.

“We are used to being in contact with more individuals, and it is easier to remain in contact with people we only met once. Giving up on this does not seem likely for humans,” she says. “The technology with which we keep in touch may change, may evolve, but we will have social connections and platforms which enable them. Facebook may be gone in 10 years, but there will be something else.”

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Social media use can be positive for mental health and well-being

January 6, 2020— Mesfin Awoke Bekalu , research scientist in the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discusses a new study he co-authored on associations between social media use and mental health and well-being.

What is healthy vs. potentially problematic social media use?

Our study has brought preliminary evidence to answer this question. Using a nationally representative sample, we assessed the association of two dimensions of social media use—how much it’s routinely used and how emotionally connected users are to the platforms—with three health-related outcomes: social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health.

We found that routine social media use—for example, using social media as part of everyday routine and responding to content that others share—is positively associated with all three health outcomes. Emotional connection to social media—for example, checking apps excessively out of fear of missing out, being disappointed about or feeling disconnected from friends when not logged into social media—is negatively associated with all three outcomes.

In more general terms, these findings suggest that as long as we are mindful users, routine use may not in itself be a problem. Indeed, it could be beneficial.

For those with unhealthy social media use, behavioral interventions may help. For example, programs that develop “effortful control” skills—the ability to self-regulate behavior—have been widely shown to be useful in dealing with problematic Internet and social media use.

We’re used to hearing that social media use is harmful to mental health and well-being, particularly for young people. Did it surprise you to find that it can have positive effects?

The findings go against what some might expect, which is intriguing. We know that having a strong social network is associated with positive mental health and well-being. Routine social media use may compensate for diminishing face-to-face social interactions in people’s busy lives. Social media may provide individuals with a platform that overcomes barriers of distance and time, allowing them to connect and reconnect with others and thereby expand and strengthen their in-person networks and interactions. Indeed, there is some empirical evidence supporting this.

On the other hand, a growing body of research has demonstrated that social media use is negatively associated with mental health and well-being, particularly among young people—for example, it may contribute to increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Our findings suggest that the ways that people are using social media may have more of an impact on their mental health and well-being than just the frequency and duration of their use.

What disparities did you find in the ways that social media use benefits and harms certain populations? What concerns does this raise?

My co-authors Rachel McCloud , Vish Viswanath , and I found that the benefits and harms associated with social media use varied across demographic, socioeconomic, and racial population sub-groups. Specifically, while the benefits were generally associated with younger age, better education, and being white, the harms were associated with older age, less education, and being a racial minority. Indeed, these findings are consistent with the body of work on communication inequalities and health disparities that our lab, the Viswanath lab , has documented over the past 15 or so years. We know that education, income, race, and ethnicity influence people’s access to, and ability to act on, health information from media, including the Internet. The concern is that social media may perpetuate those differences.

— Amy Roeder

Chapter 6: 21st-century media and issues

6.10.2 Social media and communication (research essay)

Lindsey Matier

English 102, April 2021

Communication is extremely important in today’s world, whether it be verbal or nonverbal. It can take place through many different forms such as through writing, speaking, listening and physical actions. These forms of communication evolve and continue to improve over time. As humans, we rely on communication for almost everything and it is a way of life. Communication has evolved from talking to writing letters to texting or talking over the phone. Every time a new form of communication is brought up and becomes more popular, we have to adapt and evolve to that new lifestyle. Throughout all the new forms of communication and ways of evolving, social media has been one of the most influential so far. Social media has allowed us to create new ways of communicating, such as texting or posting through different apps. It can connect us with people all over the world and give us a platform to express ourselves in ways that have not been possible before. While social media started off as a small form of technology, it has morphed into aspects of our everyday life. Now there are apps for everything from social media profiles to online shopping. While social media and technology itself has evolved, this has also affected our communication with each other and the world. Social media has created a fast track for information in a matter of seconds. It can give people a platform with millions of followers overnight for doing practically anything. It can help people express themselves in new ways and connect with people who have similar interests. The end goal of social media is to make people happy and ultimately make lives easier.

Introduction

With all this being said, it is evident that social media is in our everyday lives and will continue to change. It has a very strong grip on society as social media usage continues to rise throughout the years. Generalizing social media, we are exposed to forms of media at almost all times of the day. Answering the question of what media is will help give a better understanding of social media as a whole. Media can be defined as a way of mass communication. This could include siting in the car listening to ads on the radio all the way to scrolling on twitter. We are exposed to social media less often than generalized media, but it tends to come in greater quantities when exposed. For example, for people that wake up and check twitter it is an instant flood of information with every scroll. Everything from politics to sports to celebrity news is available at the fingertips. The concern is not all focused on the overwhelming information, but also the overwhelming number of comments and opinions. If we wanted to debate or talk about something before social media it had to be done in person, face to face. Now with social media, we are able to fight with people in comment sections on a backup account with a different name and no connection to who we really are. This new form of communication takes away the vulnerability of speaking to people and having genuine conversation, and makes up for it in internet trolls. Overall, social media is impacting the way we communicate with each other and the real questions are: Is social media impacting us in a positive or negative way? Do the positive aspects outweigh the negative aspects? Is social media hindering the way we communicate in person with each other? Is their more room for improvement when it comes to dealing with communication in the social media spectrum? How is social media impacting younger generation’s communication versus older generation’s communication? How can we help improve our communication skills on social media and in real life?

Personal Research 

Along with the other studies that I found from the sources I chose, I also conducted my own study to determine more accurate and recent data. I asked students mostly within high school and college range questions relating to social media and communication. I tried to get a wide range of data dealing with social media apps, screen time, and overall communication as a result of social media. I expected to see almost all negative responses about social media and communication. I figured that most people would respond saying that it has affected them negatively rather than positively, but the results were different compared to what I expected.

The first questions I asked had to do with social media itself. I asked questions about their most used social media apps, screen time, what age they were allowed to start using social media, and whether or not they think social media has had a negative or positive impact on them. As expected, most of the social media apps were some of the most popular ones like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. Overall, the average screen time for all apps was evenly split between 4-6 and 6-8 hours, which I also expected. Something that did surprise me was the amount of time spent on certain social media apps. The data was split pretty evenly three ways and all between 1-4 hours. The next two questions dealt with when they group surveyed started using social media. I asked these questions because a lot of the points I want to discuss later in my paper have to deal with age and whether younger generations are suffering when it comes to communication. More than half the people surveyed said that they wished that they had waited to get social media until they were older. Some said that it is not appropriate for younger kids and that it is just toxic in general. Something that I really like that a couple people mentioned was that in reality, social media at a young age is stupid and useless. A lot of people said they wish they would have enjoyed their childhood more and they would be more extroverted now if they had not been exposed that early. The last question of this section that I asked was if they thought social media has had a more positive or negative impact on them. Overall, the data was split but leaning slightly towards the more positive side. The positive answers mostly dealt with being able to talk to stay in contact with people and meeting new friends. The negative answers all related to mental health and feeling bad about themselves. A lot of people said it is toxic and very controlling and takes up too much of our time.

The next set of questions I asked had to do more with communication and interaction with and without social media. I asked questions like how they feel about social media and how it has impacted their communication, their mental health, and if it has made our lives easier. I decided to ask questions like these because I figured I would get a wide range of responses and a lot of people’s different opinions. I started off by asking if people are an introvert or an extrovert to get an idea of what the responses would be like, and 66% said somewhere in between the two. The response for the next question really shocked me because I received such a one-side response. I asked if they think social media has impacted their communication and the way they interact with others and 75% (18/24 people) said yes. This is the information that I was looking for along with the next two questions. The next question asked if they think social media has negatively impacted their mental health and 50% said yes. I also plan on using this as a research question to show that social media can affect our mental health and therefore affect the way we interact with and around other people. The last two questions are similar but the responses were both very good. Almost everyone answered yes to the question asking if social media has made our lives easier. Everyone that answered yes said they think so because it helps them talk to friends, stay in touch with people they do not see as much, and meet new people that they are comfortable talking to. The people that said no also made good points such as it takes over our lives and it is filled with too much hate and cancel culture. I agree with both sides and am very happy that people can feel a positive response especially when it comes to communicating with other people online. The last question I asked was used to wrap up the whole survey and topic. I asked if they think social media has made our generation’s communication improve or worsen. The data was pretty evenly split, and most people gave a positive and a negative. The people that said improve gave that answer because they said it broadens our communication and allows us to talk to people at a wider range. The people who said it has made it worse all said that it is ruining our face-to-face interaction and causing us to lose emotion. They said that some people do not even know how to have a proper in person conversation and that they are too dependent on their phones. Overall, I agree with both arguments that people made but I do think that the positives outweigh the negatives in most of these situations and questions.

Research Questions

The first question I want to ask has to deal with the overall social media and communication connection and has multiple other questions I would like to cover within it. The main question is: Is social media hindering the way we communicate with each other? I also want to touch on questions like: Is social media impacting us in a positive or negative way? Do the positives outweigh the negatives? The second set of research questions I have is: Is their more room for improvement when it comes to dealing with communication in the social media spectrum? How can we help improve our communication skills on social media and in real life? How is social media impacting younger generation’s communication versus older generation’s communication?

Research Question One

Social media and communication have a direct connection to each other and both have a strong impact on the outcome of the other. My first research question has to do with that. My questions center around how social media has impacted our communication, and whether or not it is positive or negative. First, I think it is important to note the changes and different characteristics that come into play when talking about this. Things like age and problems going on in our world can affect our social media usage and communication. While we connect to people on a deeper level when talking to the in person, social media has also given us a newer and more broad way of communicating. The article “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate” by Stacey Hanke, talks about different ways social media has impacted our communication. Social media has become so relevant in our day to day lives and Hanke describes it in a couple different ways. She describes it as information binging and the fear of missing out, social graces and conversational boredom. Within these, she explains how social media has become an excuse and escape to talk to people face to face. Hanke also talks about how even though it is limiting our in person communication, it can sometimes make communicating in general easier, by being able to talk to each other in just a few words (Hanke 1). In another article by Ryan J. Fuller titled “The Impact of Social Media Use on Our Social Skills”, he discusses similar topics to Hanke’s article but also brings up more positive attributes of social media. Fuller starts of his article by giving some statistics, stating that 75% of teens own cellphones and 25% of them using it for social media, and also says that they use 7.5 hours a day using it (Fuller 1). I am glad that this was brought up because it is important to know how much time is spent on social media, scrolling through feed. Next, Fuller starts to discuss some of the benefits of social media. He briefly explains how social media is beneficial because we are able to stay in touch with our friends and family, and share important parts of our lives with them. He also explains how it helps people reach out to new friends and provide themselves with more opportunities (Fuller 1). Overall, I really like that he mentioned these because it is important to keep in mind the vast majority of social media and communication. While some use it for more simpler purposes likes just keeping up to date with what is going on in the world, others use it to make new friends, find new job opportunities, and stay in touch with people. Another topic I find important when it comes to answering this research question is how Covid affected everything. With the pandemic, we were left inside with nothing to do but what was at our fingertips. This pandemic increased social media usage drastically. The article “Social Media Insights Into US Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Analysis of Twitter Data” by Danny Valdez et al, shows extensive research into determining just how much social media usage in the United States increased during the pandemic. They did experiments and surveys to determine multiple responses to research questions and show how much we rely on social media to communicate with each other. During the pandemic, everyone spent more time on their social media and their phone in general, probably more than they would like to admit. The article helps give more insight into this claim. There is the idea that social media was meant as an addition to our lives. For some people, it has become an addiction and a new piece of their life. The article focuses on how social media could be a toxic place and have a negative effect on our mental health. The time period for this information focuses around the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from Twitter, Valdez created a study to determine the mood of people during the pandemic and the usage throughout (Valdez et al 2). Collecting tweets with certain hashtags and during time periods, the goal was to determine how much the pandemic affected people’s moods, and how much they put out and shared on social media. They used hashtags, timeline data, and tweets from different periods such as the first lockdown, different stay at home orders, etc. Given the responses to the data, they were able to determine the increase in social media usage. We cannot determine if this had a positive or negative effect on the people who were using Twitter, but we can infer that social media is becoming a key part of our lives. Not being able to talk to people as much in person during the first few months of the pandemic greatly affected communication, in positive and negative ways. Communication over the phone increased due to the amount of free time that people had and were able to spend talking to others. Contrary to that, in person communication also decreased given that people were not really allowed to leave the house. The next article by Tayebi et al, “The Role of Information Systems in Communication Through Social Media” focuses a lot about how we have evolved over time with social media and communication. They start off by talking about how social networks are like social media societies. They explain it by resembling it to a human society, as it is filled with people communicating, regardless of time or place. They also exemplify other aspects such as emotional support, information, emotions (Tayebi 2). Social media is constantly looked at through such a negative light due to some of the major bad events that have taken place. While it can be difficult at times to look past the negatives, it is important to recognize and acknowledge the positives. The growth of scientific research would not be possible without the amount of information received from the media (Tayebi 3). Without social media and media in general, we would not be where we are today as a society. As mentioned earlier, it is so easy to get lost in the negative aspects of social media and discard the positive ones. Positive parts of social media such as widespread communication and unlimited access to information makes it all worth it. Staying on topic with positive aspects of social media and communication, social media in the workplace has also broken down barriers for communication. The article “A Guide to the Successful Use of Social Media in the Workplace” by Clark Boyd gives insight into how social media has improved the workplace, and ultimately communication and interaction as a whole. Companies can use social media as a form of branding and way to communicate their products (Boyd 4). Boyd states, “Harvard Business Review finds that 82% of employees believe social media improves work relationships. Left to their own devices, your teams will connect and communicate on social networks, both inside and outside the office.” This directly relates to the research question asking whether social media hinders our communication with each other. Social media also helps when it comes to dealing with complaints placed online. By seeing these through social media, it can help the company communicate either with the person or their company the concerns that are being stated (Boyd 9). Overall, it is safe to say that social media has directly affected communication throughout different aspects of our lives.

Research Question Two

My second set of research questions has a lot to do with the future and how we can improve. Questions such as: Is their more room for improvement when it comes to dealing with communication in the social media spectrum? How can we help improve our communication skills on social media and in real life? How is social media impacting younger generation’s communication versus older generation’s communication? The article “What is Literacy” by James Paul Gee talks a lot about the basics of communication. I find this an important article to talk about before I go into more detail with this second research question. Gee explains discourse as a socially accepted way of speaking, thinking, and acting (Gee 1). It is important to note this because social media has changed that discourse for us. We no longer communicate and interact the same way in which we use to therefore almost giving us a new discourse. Another thing Gee discusses is identity kits. Gee explains identity kits as “appropriate costumes and instructions on how to act and talk” (Gee 2). This relates to social media because there is a certain way we communicate online that we wouldn’t do in person. For example, we use emojis and abbreviations to communicate on social media or over text, but this is something we would not do when communicating face-to-face. There are also some basic well-known rules of social media that follow along the lines of an identity kit. Such as, for Instagram it is a common idea not to like people’s pictures from too long ago. When you say this aloud it sounds like it is not a big deal and silly almost, but for people that use social media it is something that makes sense. The next article is going to focus more on the question that has to do with room for improvement of communication. The article “The Positive Effect of Not Following Others on Social Media” by Francesca Valsesia, Davide Proserpio, and Joseph C. Nunes involves how we deal with social media and how we react to it. The article has a lot to do with pyramid schemes and marketing schemes on social media, simply due to follower count. Social media has a lot of power over us and the content we see. Influencers have too much impact on what we see every day and this overall effects our communication (Valsesia 1). Social media feeds us information at our fingertips, whether it be true or false. Valsesia is trying to get the point across that social media has no impact on our lives without the phone and therefore, having a smaller follower count is better for our communication and overall wellbeing in the first place. Leading into my next article, social media can have a huge impact on the younger generation. This leads into part of my second research question dealing with the younger generation and their communication. The article “The Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities” by Jacqueline Nesi shows how social media is a very complex brand of information and makes it complicated for everyone. Younger kids having access to it and multiple devices like computers and phones makes it that much more difficult. There are a lot of positives and negatives for younger kids having access to social media and the internet in general. It has an impact on their mental health and studies show it leads to signs of depression, body dysmorphia, eating disorders (Nesi 2). It can also affect their communication and outward identity due to things such as bullying, internet drama, and behavioral problems. While it does have serious negative risks, social media also can bring a lot of new positive ones. Things like creative ideas, humor and entertainment, and being able to explore their identity are all really great positives that social media gives us (Nesi 4). Most of them using it as a way to connect with friends and family and help them feel a sense of acceptance and belonging (Nesi 4). Similarly to this, social media has given a great outlet for kids and young adults to speak out on issues going on in the world. The article “Building Bridges: Exploring the Communication Trends and Perceived Sociopolitical Benefits of Adolescents Engaging in Online Social Justice Efforts” by Mariah Elsa Kornbluh goes into detail about the racial injustices in the world and how they are communicated through social media. Social media networks can help connect kids to different backgrounds and aspects of their lives (Kornbluh 1). Kornbluh expresses how a society only can flourish under civic engagement and being able to express ourselves, and social media is helping us do that. It is helping the younger generation prepare for the civic role that they will undergo (Kornbluh 2). Social media helps play a major role in participating in political movements and bringing awareness to topics (Kornbluh 3). This all is done by the younger generation and would not be possible without them. So, while it is easy to look at the negative parts of social media and how it effects the younger generation, it also brings great awareness to real life problems in our world. This last article I wanted to go over dealing with this research question has to do with the pandemic. The article “Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education: Social Media Usage for Sustaining Formal Academic Communication in Developing Countries” by Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih, Ahmed M. Hasanein and Ahmed E. Abu Elnasr briefly talks about communication with social media in higher education systems. Education systems had to switch from in person learning and communication to online learning, which was a struggle for everyone. Throughout the time that this took place, results showed that social media had a positive effect on students dealing with this (Sobaih 1). Students used social media to build a community and help support each other through this rough time. Through these results, proper usage of social media can be shown as a positive result for a new era of learning (Sobaih 1). This is just one more reason why social media can help us improve our future.

After answering my research questions, it has become clear to me that while social media does have negative aspects, the positive aspects outweigh them. Between the articles and my own research, I have enough evidence to prove that social media does effect communication, but in a more positive way. The way we act and present ourselves is heavily influenced by social media and communication between generations are different and can be seen that way. It is important to note the accomplishments we have made as a society with social media and the media in general. It has helped connect families, provide support groups, and provide entertainment in desperate times. Our communication has changed because of social media but has changed and helped us for the better in the long run. Keeping social media a positive place and staying away from the toxic people on it will only help us grow and learn new things about ourselves.

Works Cited

Boyd, Clark. “A Guide to Using Social Media in the Workplace in 2021.”  The Blueprint , The Blueprint, 13 May 2020, www.fool.com/the-blueprint/social-media-in-the-workplace/.

https://www.fool.com/the-blueprint/social-media-in-the-workplace/

D, Valdez, et al. “Social Media Insights Into US Mental Health During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Analysis of Twitter Data.”  Journal of Medical Internet Research  , vol. 22, no. 12, 14 Dec. 2020, pp. 1438–8871.

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.csuohio.edu:2050/eds/detail/detail? vid=8&sid=ff59b04c-b868-44cd-b864-4538e112a2ea%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=33284783&db=mnh

J, Nesi. “The Impact of Social Media on Youth Health: Challenges and Opportunities.”  North Carolina Medical Journal , vol. 81, no. 2, 2020, pp. 116–121.

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.csuohio.edu:2050/eds/detail/detail?vid=10&sid=ff59b04c-b868-44cd-b864-4538e112a2ea%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=32132255&db=mnh

Gee, James Paul. “What is literacy.”  Negotiating academic literacies: Teaching and learning  across languages and cultures  (1998): 51-59.

https://academic.jamespaulgee.com/pdfs/Gee%20What%20is%20Literacy.pdf

Hanke, Stacey. “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate.”  Thrive Global , 13  Sept. 2018, thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-communicate/.

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-communicate/

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.csuohio.edu:2050/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=467b825c-34f8-4e47-95df-e5b2b61bbaf4%40sessionmgr4006

Kornbluh, Mariah Elsa. “Building Bridges.”  Youth & Society , vol. 51, no. 8, 2017, pp. 1104–1126., doi:10.1177/0044118×17723656.

https://journals-sagepub-com.proxy.ulib.csuohio.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/0044118X17723656

Retchin, Sarah, et al. “The Impact of Social Media Use on Social Skills.”  New York Behavioral Health , 1 Dec. 2020, newyorkbehavioralhealth.com/the-impact-of-social-media-use-on-social-skills/.

https://newyorkbehavioralhealth.com/the-impact-of-social-media-use-on-social-skills/

Sobaih, Abu Elnasr E., et al. “Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education: Social Media Usage for Sustaining Formal Academic Communication in Developing Countries.”  MDPI , Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 12 Aug. 2020, www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/16/6520/htm.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/16/6520/htm

Tayeb, Seyed Mohammad, et al. “The Role of Information Systems in Communication through Social Media.”  International Journal of Data and Network Science , vol. 3, no. 3, 2019, pp. 245–268., doi:10.5267/j.ijdns.2019.2.002.

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Valsesia, Francesca, et al. “The Positive Effect of Not Following Others on Social Media .”  Journal of Marketing Research  , vol. 57, no. 6, Dec. 2020, pp. 1152–1168.

https://www.francescavalsesia.com/uploads/1/0/5/1/105151509/the_positive_effect_of_not_following_others_on_social_media.pdf

Understanding Literacy in Our Lives by Lindsey Matier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Social Media's Impact on Society

This article was updated on: 11/19/2021

Social media is an undeniable force in modern society. With over half the global population using social platforms, and the average person spending at least two hours scrolling through them every day , it can’t be overstated that our digital spaces have altered our lives as we knew them. From giving us new ways to come together and stay connected with the world around us, to providing outlets for self-expression, social media has fundamentally changed the way we initiate, build and maintain our relationships.

But while these digital communities have become commonplace in our daily lives, researchers are only beginning to understand the consequences of social media use on future generations. Social media models are changing every day, with major platforms like Meta and Instagram evolving into primary digital advertising spaces as much as social ones. A critical responsibility falls on marketers to spread messages that inform, rather than contribute to the sea of misinformation that thrives on social media.

Read on to see what’s on marketers’ minds when it comes to the impact of social media on society:

MENTAL HEALTH

You’ve likely heard about the negative impacts that social media can have on mental health. Experts are weighing in on the role that the algorithms and design of social platforms play in exasperating these concerns.

At SXSW 2019 , Aza Raskin, co-founder of the Center for Human Technology, talked about the “digital loneliness epidemic,” which focused on the rise of depression and loneliness as it relates to social media use. During the panel, Raskin spoke about the “infinite scroll,” the design principle that enables users to continuously scroll through their feeds, without ever having to decide whether to keep going—it’s hard to imagine what the bottom of a TikTok feed would look like, and that’s intentional. But with the knowledge that mental health concerns are undeniably linked to social media use, the dilemma we’re now facing is when does good design become inhumane design?

Arguably, Rankin’s term for social media use could now be renamed the “digital loneliness pandemic ” as the world faces unprecedented isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak. In 2020 the Ad Council released a study exploring factors that cause loneliness, and what can be done to alleviate it. Interestingly, our research found that while social isolation is one factor that can cause loneliness, 73% of respondents typically maintain interpersonal relationships via technology, including engaging with others on social media. Simply put, social media use can both contribute to and help mitigate feelings of isolation. So how do we address this Catch-22? We should ask ourselves how we can use social media as a platform to foster positive digital communities as young adults rely on it more and more to cope with isolation.

Findings like these have been useful as we reexamine the focuses of Ad Council campaigns. In May 2020, our iconic Seize the Awkward campaign launched new creative highlighting ways young people could use digital communications tools to stay connected and check in on one another’s mental health while practicing physical distancing. A year later, we launched another mental health initiative, Sound It Out , which harnesses the power of music to speak to 10-14-year-olds’ emotional wellbeing. Ad Council has seen the importance of spreading awareness around mental health concerns as they relate to social media consumption in young adults—who will become the next generation of marketers.

EXTREMISM & HATE

Another trend on experts’ minds is how the algorithms behind these massively influential social media platforms may contribute to the rise of extremism and online radicalization.

Major social networking sites have faced criticism over how their advanced algorithms can lead users to increasingly fringe content. These platforms are central to discussions around online extremism, as social forums have become spaces for extreme communities to form and build influence digitally. However, these platforms are responding to concerns and troubleshooting functionalities that have the potential to result in dangerous outcomes. Meta, for example, announced test prompts to provide anti-extremism resources and support for users it believes have been exposed to extremist content on their feeds.

But as extremist groups continue to turn to fringe chatrooms and the “dark web” that begin on social media, combing through the underbelly of the internet and stopping the spread of hateful narratives is a daunting task. Promoting public service messages around Racial Justice and Diversity & Inclusion are just some of the ways that Ad Council and other marketers are using these platforms to move the needle away from hateful messaging and use these platforms to change mindsets in a positive way.

PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES

Social media can be both a space to enlighten and spread messages of doubt. The information age we’re all living in has enabled marketers to intervene as educators and providers of informative messaging to all facets of the American public. And no time has this been more urgent than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public health efforts around mask mandates and vaccine rollouts have now become increasingly polarized issues. Social media platforms have turned into breeding grounds for spreading disinformation around vaccinations, and as a result, has contributed to vaccine hesitancy among the American public. Meta, Instagram, and other platforms have begun to flag certain messages as false, but the work of regulating misinformation, especially during a pandemic, will be an enduring problem. To combat this, Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative have put a particular emphasis on our historic COVID-19 Vaccine Education initiative, which has connected trusted messengers with the “uncommitted” American public who feel the most uncertainty around getting the vaccine.

Living during a global pandemic has only solidified a societal need for social media as a way to stay connected to the world at large. During the pandemic, these platforms have been used to promote hopeful and educational messages, like #AloneTogether , and ensures that social media marketing can act as a public service.

DIGITAL ACTIVISM

Beyond serving as an educational resource, social media has been the space for digital activism across a myriad of social justice issues. Movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter have gone viral thanks to the power of social media. What starts as a simple hashtag has resulted in real change, from passing sexual harassment legislation in response to #MeToo, to pushing for criminal justice reform because of BLM activists. In these cases, social media empowered likeminded people to organize around a specific cause in a way not possible before.

It’s impossible to separate the role of social media from the scalable impact that these movements have had on society. #MeToo and BLM are just two examples of movements that have sparked national attention due in large part to conversations that began on social media.

SO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MARKETERS?

Social media is a great equalizer that allows for large-scale discourse and an endless, unfiltered stream of content. Looking beyond the repercussions for a generation born on social media, these platforms remain an essential way for marketers to reach their audiences.

Whether you argue there are more benefits or disadvantages to a world run on social media, we can all agree that social media has fundamentally shifted how society communicates. With every scroll, view, like, comment and share, we’re taught something new about the impact of social media on the way we think and see the world.

But until we find a way to hold platforms more accountable for the global consequences of social media use, it’s up to marketers to use these digital resources as engines of progressive messaging. We can’t control the adverse effects of the Internet, but as marketers, we can do our part in ensuring that the right messages are being spread and that social media remains a force for social good.

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Impact of Social Media on Society Essay

In the recent years, social networking and social media have become important topics. Any site that enhances social interaction including MySpace, face book and twitter is considered a social media (O’Keeffe & Pearson, 2011). Other virtual words and gaming sites including Second Life, Club Penguin, Sims, You tube and blogs also offer opportunities for social communication and entertainment (O’Keeffe & Pearson, 2011).

The revolution of social media enhances good relationships and contacts, advanced communication processes and improves social individuals’ activities. New social media has actually become a bridge that connects cyber space and real social life closer (Eltantawy & Wiest, 2011). Social media has also enhanced the possibility of creating a ‘smaller’ world which passes a lot of information within a short period.

Since it is a controversial topic, social media will continue being viewed positively and negatively. With increased use of social media, dependency is predictable. The value of transparency will also clash with the demands of security and privacy (Lampe, LaRosa, Steinfield & DeMaagd, 2011).

The continued use of social media will have a great impact to the society. First, social media will shrink the global neighborhood further (Lampe et al., 2011). It will in this case become a way to shortening physical distance and location through the information of relationships.

As people make and maintain virtual connections and work more globally, they will gain more appreciation of culture and diversity. For instance, the use of internet has had a number of positive impacts including increasing access to unlimited entertainment and information while facilitating production of new information and entertainment (Jue, Marr & Kassotakis, 2010).

Moreover, social media especially internet will become an important tool of mobilizing collective action and formation and execution of social movements worldwide (Eltantawy & Wiest, 2011). Similarly, most activists will use social media to organize demonstrations, public protests and consumer boycotts. New social media technologies especially blogs, social-networking sites and short messaging services (SMS) will successfully be used to implement social movements.

Additionally, social media will change governments by initiating effective communication between government officials, policy makers and the constituents (Lampe et al., 2011). For governments that will want to serve the needs of their people, social media will provide a channel to have their voices heard.

Elected official and government representatives will no longer have excuses of not understanding or getting to know the desires of those people they represent. Social media will also support social and political movements by giving policy makers opportunities for symbolic identification, political expression and information exchange (Eltantawy & Wiest, 2011).

New media technologies will also be more enlisted as helpful learning tools in most disciplines including sciences, arts, language and math. Similarly, social media will be used as a tool of fighting out crime in the society. Considering that social media is all about sharing information, social media tools will help in developing a collaborative mind set of fighting crime and other ills in the society. Social media will also be used to boost the fitness of health care.

Social media will have a great impact for the training of medical professionals and other operation efficiencies (Jue, Marr & Kassotakis, 2010). Moreover, the opportunities for partnership among experts within a bigger social network will improve the identification of cure and preventive measures of some illnesses. Curricula developers will also improvise new subjects related to social media including digital communication to accommodate the expected changes of communication in the society.

On the other hand, due to limited regulations and susceptibility to the peer pressure, social media may also be detrimental to the society. It is for instance speculated that there will be expression of offline behaviors including sexual experimentation, bullying and clique forming which may have negative impacts on the children’s physical and psychological health (Jue et al., 2010).

There is also great fear that children and young people will spend most of their time playing online games or surfing the internet instead of exercising or socializing with their peers. Moreover, social media may also lead to sleep disorders and addiction of internet among children, adolescents and the youths (O’Keeffee & Pearson, 2011).

Actually, some children today have been reported to have developed repetitive strain injuries from using video game controls and computer keyboards that affect their nerves, muscles, tendons, cartilage, ligaments and spinal disks.

Although we cannot foretell the future with certainty, most organizations worldwide have in fact began to integrate social media into everything they do hence changing the way big and small organizations accomplish their objectives. It is anticipated that in the next ten years, social media will yield a significant transformational impact.

We will also see a continuous launch of new forms of social media technologies. The collaborative nature and availability of technical and open source software will in this case improve the changing needs of users even more. At one point in time, individuals and organizations will also demand that their social tools be smart and simple.

Eltantawy, N. & Wiest, J. (2011). Social Media in the Egyptian Revolution: Reconsidering Resource Mobilization Theory. International Journal of Communication , 5, 1207–1224.

Jue, A., Alcalde, J. & Kassotakis, M. (2010). Social Media at Work: How Networking Tools Propel Organizational Performance . USA: Jossy-Bass.

Lampe, C., LaRose, R., Steifield, C. & DeMaagd, K. (2011). Inherent Barriers to the Use of Social Media for Public Policy Informatics. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 16, 1-17.

O’Keeffe, G. & Pearson, K. (2011). Clinical Report-The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics , 12, 800-804.

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How Social Media Impact Our Life (Explained)

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on Published: December 8, 2021  - Last updated: January 2, 2024

Categories Society

Social media is a big part of our lives. It has become how we sometimes communicate with others and even ourselves. We rely on social media to keep up with friends, family, and what’s happening worldwide. Social Media impacts our life in many ways, but it can also be detrimental if used incorrectly or too much.

This blog post will help you understand how social media impacts our lives for better or worse by providing tips that you can use to make your experience more positive for yourself and those around you!

Social Media Has an Impact on Real Life

I always think of social media as mapping our social lives in the mass media, where everyone can interact with us and judge our every move. Social media has become an essential part of our lives whether we like it or not. They can be used for good or for bad.

Social media has changed the face of communication and personal interaction. The impact they have on the world can be observed in many ways.

Social media has changed how we live and will continue to do so in the future. Social media is a great place to get new information, make friends, and voice your opinion.

Before, you could only talk to people face-to-face or over the phone. Making friends that way was difficult because you’d have to be around them for them to consider you a friend.

Social media has changed that because it allows you to connect with people worldwide in your everyday life. This has allowed us to expand our social network and connect with more people than ever before.

Social media positively affects our lives and can help us grow as individuals, but it can also be harmful if abused.

How Social Media Affects Mental Health

Social media can affect your mental health in several ways. First, they can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth.

Most people on social media post only their most flattering, heavily filtered photos and present themselves in the best light.

When you log on to social media, you’re confronted with a seemingly endless stream of beautiful pictures and perfect strangers who’re getting married, traveling the world, or have six-figure jobs – all things that make you feel like you’re falling short.

You may wish you were more attractive, had more impressive friends/family/colleagues, lived in a nicer house, or owned more material things.

This can lead to feelings of envy and resentment toward others.

These feelings are amplified by so many people presenting the best version of themselves online: We tend to post our happiest moments and most achievements online – our bad days, failures, and frustrations are much less reported.

Some studies show that we’re more likely to share our feelings on Facebook when we feel strong emotions like happiness or sadness than when we feel neutral.

So when you see a Facebook user talking about his/her great vacation (on a sandy beach, for example), it’s easy to think they have a perfect life even though you don’t see the in-flight arguments or the complaints about the heat.

Social Media Can Cause Depression

A new study in the journal JAMA Psychiatry suggests that teens who spend more than three hours daily on social media sites are more likely to develop depression and other mental health problems.

In another JAMA Psychiatry article, new statistics about social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram negatively impact adult mental health.

A 2018 study from the College of Pennsylvania found that reducing social media use to 30 minutes daily led to less depression, insomnia, loneliness, and fear of missing out.

If Social Media Is Bad For Our Mental Health, Why Do We Still Use It?

Social media is a blessing and a curse. They bring people together and can sometimes tear them apart. But the reason people use social media is to love it.

Social media is a great tool that allows us to connect with people who’re unreachable in the real world, make ourselves heard, and stay in touch with all of our friends.

They’re also beneficial for social media marketing purposes.

For many people, social media is their first contact with the outside world. It’s how they learn about events, communicate with people they don’t know, and have access to many resources that help them run their businesses while enjoying their free time.

I have a few friends who decided to retire from social media, and most of them came back because they couldn’t keep in touch with most people outside of social media.

10 Examples of the Positive Impact of Social Media

1. provides new opportunities for interaction and connections.

Social media connects us with friends, family, and social networks in ways that weren’t possible before. Everyone knows how to use it, even if they don’t always use it well. The power of social media lies in its ability to break down communication barriers and create connections between people on a global scale.

2. Helps people stay in touch and keep up to date

Social media helps you stay connected with loved ones who live far away.

Everyone can share personal experiences, post pictures, new music, videos, and discuss various topics. Social media is unlike any other ever created because it’s changed how people share their lives with their loved ones.

3. Allows people to share moments spontaneously

Social media lets you share your life with the world in real-time. People love to see what’s happening in your life, and social media lets you show them.

Being able to connect with others instantly means that if there’s a problem, everyone in the world has access to the same information at the same time and can take action quickly.

4. Allows people to share their views with the world and get feedback

A person can have a business idea, but if no one in their town knows about it, they won’t get any money. Social media allows people to share their ideas with friends, family, colleagues, and anyone accessing the Internet.

5. Creates a sense of community

Social networking sites allow social media users to create their communities based on their interests and preferences.

These communities offer people the opportunity to meet and discuss various topics.

By joining these groups or creating your own, you can meet like-minded people with similar interests and create a positive impact.

6. Create more jobs in the economy

The most popular social media sites, like Facebook and LinkedIn, have job boards where new jobs are posted daily.

Using social media, unemployed people can find job opportunities and apply directly through their social media accounts.

7. Informs users about local and online events

Social media platforms can create local and online events on the same or different platforms.

You can live stream an event in real-time and interact directly with your audience.

8. Helps charities raise funds

Charities and donors use social media to raise awareness and funds for various causes.

For example, on the social networking sites Facebook and Instagram, you can create pages, post updates, hold fundraisers, and collect donations.

Users no longer have to wait for telethons or other televised events to donate or help a cause. Charities can create their fundraiser, and donors can track progress in real-time.

9. Builds a brand presence for businesses

You can build relationships with your customers directly through social media. You can share news, products, events, and even the day-to-day happenings in the office or job site.

Social media also allows you to build your brand’s reputation through consistent posts across all networks.

Your online presence showcases your company’s personality, culture, and beliefs and shows potential customers who you’re and what sets you apart.

10. Enables brands to do business

Social media is used by businesses of all sizes, including many small and medium-sized businesses. Social media has become an important marketing tool for many businesses. Some social media platforms also allow companies to sell their products directly through the social media business page.

Related: What Is the Importance of Business Communication

10 Negative Effects of Social Media

1. impact on social interaction.

Many people look at their phones every few minutes. This leads to many interruptions during a normal day and often to “phubbing” – snubbing someone in favor of your phone. This causes stress in relationships.

Social networking has also allowed us to meet new people and interact with friends and family in a new way. However, the more people we “friend,” the more the quality of our interactions can diminish.

2. Emotional detachment

The more time you spend on social media, the more likely you will become disconnected from the real world.

If you spend more time on these sites than with your friends and family or with physical activities, it’s time to examine how you spend your time.

Are you becoming addicted? Are you looking at other people’s lives more than your own? If so, it could be affecting your professional and personal relationships.

3. Constant distraction

Social media is a double-edged sword. They can be a great way to connect with other people but also a great way to waste time.

This is especially true for entrepreneurs, who should know better than anyone that time is a minimal resource.

4. Sleep deprivation and the fear of missing out

Sleep deprivation can affect anyone who doesn’t get enough sleep, but late-night social media sessions can exacerbate it.

Many people check their social media feeds after they go to bed and before they leave for work or school in the morning. This lack of sleep can lead to depression, poor concentration, and mental health problems.

5. Danger from fake profiles, spammers, and scammers

Fake profiles on social media are used for various purposes, including identity theft, spamming, and scamming.

The worst thing about these fake profiles is that they contain all your data. If someone decides to use this information for identity theft, they’ll first look at your connections on Facebook to see who might be at risk.

6. No privacy

Your personal information is vulnerable.

The information you share on social media is available to anyone, including potential employers and government agencies.

Information you disclose on your Facebook, Twitter , and other social media accounts can be tracked by third parties, such as websites and companies that create databases to target potential customers.

7. Increased feelings of inadequacy

Regular social media use can lead to increased feelings of inadequacy, isolation, and depression in young adults, research suggests.

These feelings of inadequacy and the need for social comparison can lead young people to change aspects of their personality (diets, hair color, clothing) or try risky behaviors they see portrayed on social media.

8. Social isolation

With all the time people spend on social media, they can lose touch with what’s important – genuine human relationships, like close family ties or friendships with neighbors or colleagues.

Social isolation can make you lonely, depressed, or anxious.

Some people are surprised that they spend more time on social media than with their families! That’s one reason a young person who uses social media heavily is more likely to feel depressed or have other negative emotions than peers who don’t use social media as much.

9. Stress & instant messaging

Studies have shown that the constant presence of social media and the need to respond immediately to text messages, emails, and phone calls can cause high stress and anxiety.

10. Fake news

Although social media platforms are doing their best to stop it, Fake News is still a problem, but they aren’t solely to blame.

We’ve already seen that some people use this tragedy to promote their political agenda.

For example, before social media existed, Populists used the power of modern technology, including the movie camera and radio, to spread their message of hate and genocide.

The speed with which information can be disseminated today makes it even more important to be vigilant in sourcing news.

We must demand sources we can trust because our freedom depends on them.

Imagine Life Without Social Media

I’ve been thinking about that for a while.

For nearly two decades, I’ve lived and traveled abroad and experienced many places where I was removed from social media and digital technologies.

I’ve also found myself in situations where my access to the Internet was severely limited or cut off altogether, and that was the best time in my life.

However, social media and digital communications have become an integral part of our daily life for many people, even those who don’t live in a big city or have a job that requires them to be connected to the Internet all day. And so it’s tough to disconnect from all of that, even if you want to because your contacts are just there.

They’re accessible, and they’re easy to use. You can always connect with them, find out what they’re up to, see what they think about things, and constantly interact with friends and family far away.

Sometimes we wish it was a little more difficult or less direct. We’d love to sit down with a book or some other form of distraction without feeling guilty that someone might get back to us because we haven’t responded to him or her in 15 minutes.

The Question is: How Do You Find a Balance?

A social media detox might be just what you need to get your life back on track.

It can be very tempting to check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat every few minutes. But it might be time for a break if you’re having difficulty focusing on work or paying attention to the people around you.

How to Take a Break From Social Media

Find out which social media platform(s) you use most.

Once you’ve figured out which apps you use the most, look at how much time you spend on them daily.

If it’s more than an hour, maybe it’s time to take a break from social media for the next week or so.

Block out certain times during the day

If you want to spend an hour or two on social media daily, that’s fine. But if it starts to take over your everyday life – constantly looking at your phone when you’re supposed to be doing something else and feeling restless when you’re not – it’s time to take a break.

Delete your apps from your phone

If you can’t live without checking Facebook every five minutes, install the app on your desktop computer (you can even save it as your desktop wallpaper for quick access) and ensure it’s easily accessible. If you can’t delete your apps, at least turn off notifications on your phone.

Focus on offline activities

Many fulfilling offline activities include sports, art, writing, cooking, reading, etc. Get together with your friends or family face-to-face. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll appreciate the time you spend with those you haven’t seen.

Leave your phone outside your bedroom when you go to sleep

Many people get so attached to their devices that they don’t want to turn them off while they sleep.

This makes it hard to get a good night’s sleep because all you can think about is what’s happening on your social media feeds.

The result is insomnia and anxiety: you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about world events, news, your bank balance, or someone you like will be looking at their phone in an hour.

What to Keep in Mind When You Want to Opt Out of Your Social Media Accounts

The decision to remove yourself from social media is a serious one.

As with most things in life, there are both pros and cons.

It’s important to consider your feelings before making the decision to remove yourself from any of these platforms.

Benefits of Withdrawing From Social Media

• Reduce your stress and anxiety levels in your daily life. Social media can be addictive and stressful. You may compare your life to other social media users as you read others’ posts. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and depression. If you think social media is stressing you out, it may be an excellent decision to withdraw from it.
• Spend more time with your family and friends. Social media can keep you from real social interaction with the people most matter to you. By withdrawing from social media, you can put away your phone or computer and spend more time with the people who matter to you.
• Give your eyes a break. If you’re reading Facebook or Instagram all day, your eyes will quickly become strained and tired. Step away from social media for a while and give your eyes a much-needed break by looking at other things (like the face of

Benefits of Staying on Social Media

• Keep in Touch with Friends and Family. It’s also a great way to meet new people – especially if you’re traveling. Some of your closest relationships result from a chance encounter online. And even if they’re far away – or maybe even dead – you can always reach them on social media.
• Stay Connected Social media can make it easier to find out things about other people’s lives, including their interests and activities. If you’re bored with people who aren’t interesting enough to keep you entertained, social media can help by connecting you with cool groups and events in your area or around the world.
• Stay Informed Social media is a great way to learn new things from people who share your interests and passions.

Social Media for Business

Social media isn’t just for your personal use anymore. Small businesses are using various forms of social media to grow their business.

It’s a great way to reach new customers and interact with their existing customers. They can get feedback from their customers and provide great customer service.

Social media allows small businesses to build relationships with potential customers before meeting them in person.

Social Media Helps You Network

Social media helps you network with people with similar interests and allows you to meet new people with the same or similar ideas and beliefs.

Whether you’re looking for friends or want to network, there are many different ways that social media can improve your life in different ways.

Which Social Media Platform is Right for You?

If you use social media for your business or professional networking, the question isn’t whether you should leave social media but which social platform is right for you.

Most Popular Platforms Used by Businesses and Professionals

• LinkedIn – This platform offers business-to-business (B2B) contacts a great opportunity. It’s primarily geared toward professional use and allows you to connect with potential clients. LinkedIn gives you more control over your audience than on other social networks. You can narrow them by job title, company size, industry, etc.
• Facebook – this social platform is best for marketers with a small budget. It allows you to focus on your target audience and get the most out of your advertising budget. Facebook is still growing and therefore offers many untapped opportunities for business.
• Twitter – is primarily used as a real-time news feed, but it also provides a great way for businesses to connect with customers and prospects. Using Twitter ads, you can connect with new prospects and customers cost-effectively. Twitter is especially effective for those who’ve little time for social media. The messages are usually short.
• Instagram – great for eCommerce is a fun way to market your business and get your name out there. The Instagram app and ads are constantly improving.

A Social Media Site Is Like Any Other Tool; It Only Affects Us if We Let It

Social media is here to stay, so it is essential to know how to use it properly.

The impact of social media on our lives, how we do business, and more is significant.

They’ve become a way of life for everyone and are a good network for people to stay in touch and share information.

Related Post

Did you know that social media also significantly affects our reading habits and literacy?

With the digital age in full swing, the way we consume information and literature is rapidly changing, especially among younger generations.

To delve deeper into this topic, check out our insightful article: Why It Matters That Teens Are Reading Less . This piece sheds light on the critical impact of social media on traditional reading practices, highlighting the decline in leisure reading among teenagers. It explores how social media platforms’ instant gratification and fast-paced nature can reshape attention spans and reading preferences.

Understanding this shift is crucial, as it has profound implications for cognitive development, academic performance, and emotional well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the impact of social media on our lives.

Social media profoundly impacts our lives, including how we communicate, consume information, political opinions, buying behaviors, and overall sense of self and community. The impact can be positive and negative, depending on its use.

How does social media affect our mental health?

Studies have shown that excessive use of social media can contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and lower self-esteem. However, social media can also provide support networks and connections to improve mental health. The impact largely depends on how and why individuals use these platforms.

How does social media impact communication?

Social media has revolutionized communication, making it faster and more immediate. It allows people to connect globally, share ideas, and collaborate like never before. However, this can also spread misinformation and misunderstandings due to digital communication’s lack of non-verbal cues.

What are the positive effects of social media?

Positive effects of social media include the ability to connect with people worldwide, access to a wealth of information and different perspectives, opportunities for learning, and a platform for self-expression and creativity.

What are the negative effects of social media?

Negative effects of social media can include cyberbullying, privacy concerns, misinformation, and the potential for addiction. It can also lead to decreased productivity and adversely affect mental health.

Can social media impact our decision-making process?

Yes, social media can significantly impact our decision-making processes. From influencing our purchasing decisions through ads and influencer marketing to shaping our political views, our social media content can shape our thoughts, perceptions, and actions.

How does social media influence our perception of reality?

Social media can influence our perception of reality by presenting curated, often idealized versions of people’s lives, leading to unrealistic expectations and comparisons. It can also influence our perception of events or issues based on the opinions and perspectives we’re exposed to.

Is it possible to reduce the negative impacts of social media?

Yes, it is possible to reduce the negative impacts of social media. This can be done by setting boundaries, curating feeds to include diverse and positive content, taking regular digital detoxes, and fostering healthy offline relationships and hobbies.

How does social media impact teenagers differently than adults?

Teenagers, who are in a critical stage of social and emotional development, might be more susceptible to the negative impacts of social media, such as cyberbullying, peer pressure, and the impact on self-esteem from comparison. However, they can also benefit from these platforms’ educational content and social connections.

How has social media changed society?

Social media has significantly changed society in various ways. It has transformed how we communicate, how we access information, and even how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. It has led to significant societal changes, including shifts in political discourse, consumer behavior, and social activism.

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Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among US Youth )

Association Between Social Media Use and Self-reported Symptoms of Depression in US Adults

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Social media harms teens’ mental health, mounting evidence shows. what now.

Understanding what is going on in teens’ minds is necessary for targeted policy suggestions

Most teens use social media, often for hours on end. Some social scientists are confident that such use is harming their mental health. Now they want to pinpoint what explains the link.

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By Sujata Gupta

February 20, 2024 at 7:30 am

In January, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, appeared at a congressional hearing to answer questions about how social media potentially harms children. Zuckerberg opened by saying: “The existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link between using social media and young people having worse mental health.”

But many social scientists would disagree with that statement. In recent years, studies have started to show a causal link between teen social media use and reduced well-being or mood disorders, chiefly depression and anxiety.

Ironically, one of the most cited studies into this link focused on Facebook.

Researchers delved into whether the platform’s introduction across college campuses in the mid 2000s increased symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. The answer was a clear yes , says MIT economist Alexey Makarin, a coauthor of the study, which appeared in the November 2022 American Economic Review . “There is still a lot to be explored,” Makarin says, but “[to say] there is no causal evidence that social media causes mental health issues, to that I definitely object.”

The concern, and the studies, come from statistics showing that social media use in teens ages 13 to 17 is now almost ubiquitous. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, and some 60 percent of teens report using Instagram or Snapchat, a 2022 survey found. (Only 30 percent said they used Facebook.) Another survey showed that girls, on average, allot roughly 3.4 hours per day to TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, compared with roughly 2.1 hours among boys. At the same time, more teens are showing signs of depression than ever, especially girls ( SN: 6/30/23 ).

As more studies show a strong link between these phenomena, some researchers are starting to shift their attention to possible mechanisms. Why does social media use seem to trigger mental health problems? Why are those effects unevenly distributed among different groups, such as girls or young adults? And can the positives of social media be teased out from the negatives to provide more targeted guidance to teens, their caregivers and policymakers?

“You can’t design good public policy if you don’t know why things are happening,” says Scott Cunningham, an economist at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Increasing rigor

Concerns over the effects of social media use in children have been circulating for years, resulting in a massive body of scientific literature. But those mostly correlational studies could not show if teen social media use was harming mental health or if teens with mental health problems were using more social media.

Moreover, the findings from such studies were often inconclusive, or the effects on mental health so small as to be inconsequential. In one study that received considerable media attention, psychologists Amy Orben and Andrew Przybylski combined data from three surveys to see if they could find a link between technology use, including social media, and reduced well-being. The duo gauged the well-being of over 355,000 teenagers by focusing on questions around depression, suicidal thinking and self-esteem.

Digital technology use was associated with a slight decrease in adolescent well-being , Orben, now of the University of Cambridge, and Przybylski, of the University of Oxford, reported in 2019 in Nature Human Behaviour . But the duo downplayed that finding, noting that researchers have observed similar drops in adolescent well-being associated with drinking milk, going to the movies or eating potatoes.

Holes have begun to appear in that narrative thanks to newer, more rigorous studies.

In one longitudinal study, researchers — including Orben and Przybylski — used survey data on social media use and well-being from over 17,400 teens and young adults to look at how individuals’ responses to a question gauging life satisfaction changed between 2011 and 2018. And they dug into how the responses varied by gender, age and time spent on social media.

Social media use was associated with a drop in well-being among teens during certain developmental periods, chiefly puberty and young adulthood, the team reported in 2022 in Nature Communications . That translated to lower well-being scores around ages 11 to 13 for girls and ages 14 to 15 for boys. Both groups also reported a drop in well-being around age 19. Moreover, among the older teens, the team found evidence for the Goldilocks Hypothesis: the idea that both too much and too little time spent on social media can harm mental health.

“There’s hardly any effect if you look over everybody. But if you look at specific age groups, at particularly what [Orben] calls ‘windows of sensitivity’ … you see these clear effects,” says L.J. Shrum, a consumer psychologist at HEC Paris who was not involved with this research. His review of studies related to teen social media use and mental health is forthcoming in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

Cause and effect

That longitudinal study hints at causation, researchers say. But one of the clearest ways to pin down cause and effect is through natural or quasi-experiments. For these in-the-wild experiments, researchers must identify situations where the rollout of a societal “treatment” is staggered across space and time. They can then compare outcomes among members of the group who received the treatment to those still in the queue — the control group.

That was the approach Makarin and his team used in their study of Facebook. The researchers homed in on the staggered rollout of Facebook across 775 college campuses from 2004 to 2006. They combined that rollout data with student responses to the National College Health Assessment, a widely used survey of college students’ mental and physical health.

The team then sought to understand if those survey questions captured diagnosable mental health problems. Specifically, they had roughly 500 undergraduate students respond to questions both in the National College Health Assessment and in validated screening tools for depression and anxiety. They found that mental health scores on the assessment predicted scores on the screenings. That suggested that a drop in well-being on the college survey was a good proxy for a corresponding increase in diagnosable mental health disorders. 

Compared with campuses that had not yet gained access to Facebook, college campuses with Facebook experienced a 2 percentage point increase in the number of students who met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety or depression, the team found.

When it comes to showing a causal link between social media use in teens and worse mental health, “that study really is the crown jewel right now,” says Cunningham, who was not involved in that research.

A need for nuance

The social media landscape today is vastly different than the landscape of 20 years ago. Facebook is now optimized for maximum addiction, Shrum says, and other newer platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, have since copied and built on those features. Paired with the ubiquity of social media in general, the negative effects on mental health may well be larger now.

Moreover, social media research tends to focus on young adults — an easier cohort to study than minors. That needs to change, Cunningham says. “Most of us are worried about our high school kids and younger.” 

And so, researchers must pivot accordingly. Crucially, simple comparisons of social media users and nonusers no longer make sense. As Orben and Przybylski’s 2022 work suggested, a teen not on social media might well feel worse than one who briefly logs on. 

Researchers must also dig into why, and under what circumstances, social media use can harm mental health, Cunningham says. Explanations for this link abound. For instance, social media is thought to crowd out other activities or increase people’s likelihood of comparing themselves unfavorably with others. But big data studies, with their reliance on existing surveys and statistical analyses, cannot address those deeper questions. “These kinds of papers, there’s nothing you can really ask … to find these plausible mechanisms,” Cunningham says.

One ongoing effort to understand social media use from this more nuanced vantage point is the SMART Schools project out of the University of Birmingham in England. Pedagogical expert Victoria Goodyear and her team are comparing mental and physical health outcomes among children who attend schools that have restricted cell phone use to those attending schools without such a policy. The researchers described the protocol of that study of 30 schools and over 1,000 students in the July BMJ Open.

Goodyear and colleagues are also combining that natural experiment with qualitative research. They met with 36 five-person focus groups each consisting of all students, all parents or all educators at six of those schools. The team hopes to learn how students use their phones during the day, how usage practices make students feel, and what the various parties think of restrictions on cell phone use during the school day.

Talking to teens and those in their orbit is the best way to get at the mechanisms by which social media influences well-being — for better or worse, Goodyear says. Moving beyond big data to this more personal approach, however, takes considerable time and effort. “Social media has increased in pace and momentum very, very quickly,” she says. “And research takes a long time to catch up with that process.”

Until that catch-up occurs, though, researchers cannot dole out much advice. “What guidance could we provide to young people, parents and schools to help maintain the positives of social media use?” Goodyear asks. “There’s not concrete evidence yet.”

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• Open access
• Published: 06 July 2023

Pros & cons: impacts of social media on mental health

• Ágnes Zsila 1 , 2 &
• Marc Eric S. Reyes   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5280-1315 3  

BMC Psychology volume  11 , Article number:  201 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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The use of social media significantly impacts mental health. It can enhance connection, increase self-esteem, and improve a sense of belonging. But it can also lead to tremendous stress, pressure to compare oneself to others, and increased sadness and isolation. Mindful use is essential to social media consumption.

Social media has become integral to our daily routines: we interact with family members and friends, accept invitations to public events, and join online communities to meet people who share similar preferences using these platforms. Social media has opened a new avenue for social experiences since the early 2000s, extending the possibilities for communication. According to recent research [ 1 ], people spend 2.3 h daily on social media. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have become increasingly popular among youth in 2022, and one-third think they spend too much time on these platforms [ 2 ]. The considerable time people spend on social media worldwide has directed researchers’ attention toward the potential benefits and risks. Research shows excessive use is mainly associated with lower psychological well-being [ 3 ]. However, findings also suggest that the quality rather than the quantity of social media use can determine whether the experience will enhance or deteriorate the user’s mental health [ 4 ]. In this collection, we will explore the impact of social media use on mental health by providing comprehensive research perspectives on positive and negative effects.

Social media can provide opportunities to enhance the mental health of users by facilitating social connections and peer support [ 5 ]. Indeed, online communities can provide a space for discussions regarding health conditions, adverse life events, or everyday challenges, which may decrease the sense of stigmatization and increase belongingness and perceived emotional support. Mutual friendships, rewarding social interactions, and humor on social media also reduced stress during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 4 ].

On the other hand, several studies have pointed out the potentially detrimental effects of social media use on mental health. Concerns have been raised that social media may lead to body image dissatisfaction [ 6 ], increase the risk of addiction and cyberbullying involvement [ 5 ], contribute to phubbing behaviors [ 7 ], and negatively affects mood [ 8 ]. Excessive use has increased loneliness, fear of missing out, and decreased subjective well-being and life satisfaction [ 8 ]. Users at risk of social media addiction often report depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem [ 9 ].

Overall, findings regarding the impact of social media on mental health pointed out some essential resources for psychological well-being through rewarding online social interactions. However, there is a need to raise awareness about the possible risks associated with excessive use, which can negatively affect mental health and everyday functioning [ 9 ]. There is neither a negative nor positive consensus regarding the effects of social media on people. However, by teaching people social media literacy, we can maximize their chances of having balanced, safe, and meaningful experiences on these platforms [ 10 ].

We encourage researchers to submit their research articles and contribute to a more differentiated overview of the impact of social media on mental health. BMC Psychology welcomes submissions to its new collection, which promises to present the latest findings in the emerging field of social media research. We seek research papers using qualitative and quantitative methods, focusing on social media users’ positive and negative aspects. We believe this collection will provide a more comprehensive picture of social media’s positive and negative effects on users’ mental health.

Data Availability

Not applicable.

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Valkenburg PM. Social media use and well-being: what we know and what we need to know. Curr Opin Psychol. 2022;45:101294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.101294 .

Bányai F, Zsila Á, Király O, Maraz A, Elekes Z, Griffiths MD, Urbán R, Farkas J, Rigó P Jr, Demetrovics Z. Problematic social media use: results from a large-scale nationally representative adolescent sample. PLoS ONE. 2017;12(1):e0169839. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169839 .

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Acknowledgements

Ágnes Zsila was supported by the ÚNKP-22-4 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund.

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Ágnes Zsila

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Impact of Social Media on Relationships

This essay about the impact of social media on relationships examines both the positive and negative effects of online platforms. It discusses how social media has transformed communication, making it quicker but shallower, which can weaken deeper emotional connections. The essay also explores how social media can stir jealousy and insecurity through constant visibility into one’s social interactions and the tendency for individuals to compare their relationships to idealized versions seen online. Despite these challenges, the essay acknowledges the benefits of social media, such as keeping connected with distant loved ones and sharing significant life milestones, which can strengthen bonds. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of mindful social media use, setting boundaries, and maintaining open communication to mitigate potential negative effects while harnessing its positive aspects to enhance relationships.

How it works

In this era of hashtags and handles, social media has become an inextricable part of our lives. It connects us to long-lost friends, keeps us updated on the lives of loved ones far away, and even helps forge new relationships. But as much as it draws us together, social media can also drive wedges between us. The question of whether social media is bad for relationships isn’t straightforward. It comes down to how we engage with these digital tools and how we let them influence our interactions and perceptions.

Let’s start with communication, the bread and butter of any relationship. Social media revolutionized how we communicate, making it easier and faster, with a simple like or emoji often sufficing where words once roamed. Yet, this ease comes at a cost. The brief, often superficial nature of social interactions online can erode the foundation of deeper understanding and connection that more substantial conversations build. When a couple relies too heavily on social media to communicate, they might find themselves drifting into a pattern of shallow exchanges that lack the intimacy and immediacy of face-to-face conversations.

Then there’s the green-eyed monster of jealousy, which social media seems particularly adept at feeding. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook provide a window into people’s lives that we wouldn’t normally have. It can be unsettling to see your significant other constantly interacting with others online, liking photos, and leaving comments. Without the full context of these interactions, misunderstandings can easily spiral, feeding doubts and insecurities that might not exist otherwise. This constant surveillance and the doubts it spawns can put a strain on the healthiest of relationships.

Social comparison is another pitfall. It’s hard not to compare our behind-the-scenes to everyone else’s highlight reels. Online, people often present the best versions of their lives and relationships, edited and filtered to perfection. This can set an unrealistic benchmark for what a relationship should look like. Constant exposure to such idealized images can lead individuals to view their own relationships as less exciting or fulfilling. This discrepancy between the perceived and the real can lead to dissatisfaction and a constant feeling of lacking.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Social media does have its silver linings when it comes to relationships. For one, it keeps us connected. For those in long-distance relationships, platforms like Skype and WhatsApp are invaluable, making the miles seem a little less daunting. They allow us to share moments instantly and feel closer to those who are physically far away. Social media can also play a celebratory role, providing a space to announce engagements, anniversaries, and other milestones. This public declaration not only reinforces the bond but also builds a shared space for friends and family to join in the celebration.

What’s crucial is finding a healthy balance. To prevent social media from souring our relationships, we need to set boundaries. This might mean designating phone-free times or agreeing not to let online interactions interfere with or overshadow real-life moments. Couples should communicate openly about their social media use and the feelings it may evoke, discussing what is or isn’t acceptable within the context of their relationship. Recognizing that the content people share online is curated can also help mitigate feelings of inadequacy or jealousy.

Ultimately, whether social media is bad for relationships depends on how we use it. Like any tool, its impact is dictated by the hands that wield it. Used thoughtfully, social media can enhance and sustain connections. Used carelessly, it can create rifts and feed insecurities. Navigating this digital terrain requires awareness, intention, and the occasional digital detox. By fostering open communication and setting clear boundaries, we can enjoy the benefits of social media without letting it undermine our most important personal connections.

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The Loneliness Curve

New research suggests people tend to be lonelier in young adulthood and late life. But experts say it doesn’t have to be that way.

By Christina Caron

When Surgeon General Vivek Murthy went on a nationwide college tour last fall, he started to hear the same kind of question time and again: How are we supposed to connect with one another when nobody talks anymore?

In an age when participation in community organizations , clubs and religious groups has declined, and more social interaction is happening online instead of in person, some young people are reporting levels of loneliness that, in past decades, were typically associated with older adults.

It’s one of the many reasons loneliness has become a problem at both the beginning and end of our life span. In a study published last Tuesday in the journal Psychological Science, researchers found that loneliness follows a U-shaped curve: Starting from young adulthood, self-reported loneliness tends to decline as people approach midlife only to rise again after the age of 60, becoming especially pronounced by around age 80.

While anyone can experience loneliness, including middle-aged adults , people in midlife may feel more socially connected than other age groups because they are often interacting with co-workers, a spouse, children and others in their community — and these relationships may feel stable and satisfying, said Eileen K. Graham, an associate professor of medical social sciences at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the lead author of the study.

As people get older, those opportunities can “start to fall away,” she said. In the study, which looked at data waves spanning several decades, starting as early as the 1980s and ending as late as 2018, participants at either end of the age spectrum were more likely to agree with statements such as: “I miss having people around me” or “My social relationships are superficial.”

“We have social muscles just like we have physical muscles,” Dr. Murthy said. “And those social muscles weaken when we don’t use them.”

When loneliness goes unchecked, it can be dangerous to our physical and mental health, and has been linked to problems like heart disease, dementia and suicidal ideation.

Dr. Graham and other experts on social connection said there were small steps we could take at any age to cultivate a sense of belonging and social connection.

Do a relationship audit.

“Don’t wait until old age to discover that you lack a good-quality social network,” said Louise Hawkley, a research scientist who studies loneliness at NORC, a social research organization at the University of Chicago . “The longer you wait, the harder it gets to form new connections.”

Studies suggest that most people benefit from having a minimum of four to six close relationships, said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience and the director of the Social Connection and Health Lab at Brigham Young University.

But it’s not just the quantity that matters, she added, it’s also the variety and the quality.

“Different relationships can fulfill different kinds of needs,” Dr. Holt-Lunstad said. “Just like you need a variety of foods to get a variety of nutrients, you need a variety of types of people in your life.”

Ask yourself: Are you able to rely on and support the people in your life? And are your relationships mostly positive rather than negative?

If so, it’s a sign that those relationships are beneficial to your mental and physical well-being, she said.

Join a group.

Research has shown that poor health, living alone and having fewer close family and friends account for the increase in loneliness after about age 75.

But isolation isn’t the only thing that contributes to loneliness — in people both young and old, loneliness stems from a disconnect between what you want or expect from your relationships and what those relationships are providing.

If your network is shrinking — or if you feel unsatisfied with your relationships — seek new connections by joining a community group, participating in a social sports league or volunteering , which can provide a sense of meaning and purpose, Dr. Hawkley said.

And if one type of volunteering is not satisfying, do not give up, she added. Instead try another type.

Participating in organizations that interest you can offer a sense of belonging and is one way to accelerate the process of connecting in person with like-minded people.

Cut back on social media.

Jean Twenge, a social psychologist and the author of “Generations,” found in her research that heavy social media use is linked to poor mental health — especially among girls — and that smartphone access and internet use “ increased in lock step with teenage loneliness .”

Instead of defaulting to an online conversation or merely a reaction to someone’s post, you can suggest bonding over a meal — no phones allowed.

And if a text or social media interaction is getting long or involved, move to real-time conversation by texting, “Can I give you a quick call?” Dr. Twenge said.

Finally, Dr. Holt-Lunstad suggested asking a friend or family member to go on a walk instead of corresponding online. Not only is taking a stroll free, it also has the added benefit of providing fresh air and exercise.

Take the initiative.

“Oftentimes when people feel lonely, they may be waiting for someone else to reach out to them,” Dr. Holt-Lunstad said. “It can feel really hard to ask for help or even just to initiate a social interaction. You feel very vulnerable. What if they say no?”

Some people might feel more comfortable contacting others with an offer to help, she added, because it helps you focus “outward instead of inward.”

Small acts of kindness will not only maintain but also solidify your relationships, the experts said.

For example, if you like to cook, offer to drop off food for a friend or family member, Dr. Twenge said.

“You’ll not only strengthen a social connection but get the mood boost that comes from helping,” she added.

Christina Caron is a Times reporter covering mental health. More about Christina Caron

Managing Anxiety and Stress

Stay balanced in the face of stress and anxiety with our collection of tools and advice..

How are you, really? This self-guided check-in will help you take stock of your emotional well-being — and learn how to make changes .

These simple and proven strategies will help you manage stress , support your mental health and find meaning in the new year.

First, bring calm and clarity into your life with these 10 tips . Next, identify what you are dealing with: Is it worry, anxiety or stress ?

Persistent depressive disorder is underdiagnosed, and many who suffer from it have never heard of it. Here is what to know .

If you notice drastic shifts in your mood during certain times of the year, you could have seasonal affective disorder. Here are answers to your top questions about the condition .

How much anxiety is too much? Here is how to establish whether you should see a professional about it .

Do we really know the impact of social media use and abuse?

O n one hand, social media enables us to connect with people, promote brands and activities, create businesses, and support causes. On the other hand, it can be a harmful tool for negativity, including cyber-bullying, shaming, scams, and threats. Now there are growing concerns about its impact on our mental health.

It's everywhere, we all use it, and it's hard to imagine what our lives would be like without it, but do we really know about the true impact of social media use and abuse? 

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning of a teen mental health crisis saying:

"Even though there are some very positive parts of social media, there are some negative things too, so we are seeing some studies looking at the fact that there's been increased anxiety, depression, and even some suicidal ideations, and even suicides because of social media," Clinical Psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere said. 

Simone Nicole is a content creator who gained huge viral popularity with her videos showing Black women how to care for their hair and wear it beautifully and naturally. She is passionate about redefining beauty to include girls and women who look like her but says it wasn't always easy. She says learning to deal with harsh or hateful feedback helped her to grow and learn to focus on her own goals.

"I experienced some downfalls, but even that, negative comments are negative comments, but the good that has come has been the joy of my life. People who've told me that I've helped them change for the better, have helped them with their self-esteem, with their growth, and their journey. I'm smiling ear to ear, it's priceless," content creator and actor Simone Nicole said.

Social media companies are increasingly coming under fire for harming users' mental health. There's a growing number of private lawsuits where alleged victims are suing for damages. 

Mayor Eric Adams has called social media "a public health hazard." He made headlines with a lawsuit against a handful of the biggest social media companies for allegedly designing their platforms to exploit teen users mental health. The lawsuit stated that it cost the city $100 million for mental health services to help the young people adversely affected.

"It's an emerging legal landscape. There are creative lawsuits, there is proposed legislation, there are congressional hearings, so what we're really seeing is society feeling out how best to regulate this new animal of social media," Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis said.

Of course, monitoring or limiting your child's social media screen time is easier said than done. Psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere, a father of 6, says there's no question it's tough, but it's parents' duty to get it done.

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