The significance of social media in the world today
Human life is a phenomenon that is dependent on communication as far as issues of connecting and advancing of the society are concerned. There have been several forms of communication that have been established over time. Some of these forms include the use of sign language, body language, and written language. With the advancement in technology in this modern generation, communication has developed into a new form of social networking. Social networking involves the use of media platforms in facilitating communication. Such networks include Facebook, Instagram, snap chat, twitter, LinkedIn, and many others that are developing daily. Social media is viewed as the applications and websites that give users the ability to share content and be in touch with friends, family, and the world. The availability and fluidity of applications like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, to name a few, have enabled people from different backgrounds to be in a position of exchanging knowledge, ideas, and information at an international level. Statistics report that by 2021, the number of social media users will have risen to 3.2 billion individuals. Social media is a technological advancement that has significantly impacted the human race in both a positive and negative manner. The hype on social media in the world today is high, and as a result, there have been impacts experienced as a result of social media. In this case, social media being a very complex phenomenon that is available everywhere, has changed the world we live in both positive and negative aspects.
One of the benefits of social media is that it has become one of the most significant avenues of entertainment. Music is one of the forms of entertainment that has taken center stage in the social media. Nowadays, an artist can produce their song, post it on online platforms, and they can be able to get feedback from their fans. It is reported that an artist can get up to 70% of respondents about their products through social media. The respondents are mainly a result of peer to peer influence of behavior, through which an individual listens to music from an artist based on the posts or responses given by a friend on social media. Unlike before, where an artist had to wait for their music to be released to receive feedback, the generation today is much faster and easier. In this case, individuals can enjoy music, respond to their favorite artists, and request songs on their needs, and an artist can deliver to the clients. In addition to this, unlike before, where one would listen or get to know about a song through cassettes, newspapers, records, or CDs, today, one can access a song in seconds. Social media helped in the transformation of the music industry from a product-based business to a business that is service-based. This transformation has enabled artists to gain more control over their music.
Moreover, social media platforms like YouTube as facilitated the watching of movies and series for entertainment purposes among individuals. Movies and series are films that offer a form of entertainment to individuals. The films are of variety such as comedy, horror, action, criminal law, and many others that satisfy the entertainment need of individuals through their preference of cinema. Finally, platforms like twitter offer social media users a platform to express their opinions freely and practice their right to speech. These platforms have proven to be entertaining since people can say whatever they like and make jokes at the expense of something, offer8ing a form of entertainment to the twitter fraternity.
Secondly, it is because of social media that a global village is attained. A global community is whereby there is effective communication between individuals across the world. Social media has helped in facilitating communication across the globe in many ways; for instance, through social media, it is possible to acquire news alerts that inform on the happenings of the world across a large population of people. Due to globalization, almost 70% of the world has access to a social media platform. This way, when there is news, people from all over the world are in a position to access the information. An individual in Kenya can be able to access a report from London by a click of a button. This is how social media platforms have made effective. In addition to becoming knowledgeable on the happenings of the world, teenagers and young people are also benefiting from social media through becoming knowledgeable and educated. Google is a second helper t man, and it helps in giving meaning and definition for any question that one might have. In today’s world, it is no surprise that a young individual knows more compared to their parents. The availability of the internet has contributed to the pursuit of knowledge among young people, and this knowledge is beneficial in their lives, education, and regular interaction with others. Finally, on social media facilitating a global village, the platform has helped in more understanding of technological needs. The use of social media has presented to be alerting platform in which people get more knowledge on how to use the platform and how to navigate about the internet. Social media provides information on the technological needs of the social media platform and helps the users understand how to manage development, advancements, and the requirements of social media for it to be effective. One is able to learn how to use li8nked in through social media. The technical needs required in social media are found in social media platforms.
Social media also contributes negatively to society through the influence of suicide among individuals. Presently, social media and mental illness have been on the rise globally: however, these two topics are mutually inclusive; they go hand in hand. Many people argue that social media is a technological advancement that has made the world a global village, and that has made life more relaxed and comfortable. On the other hand, social media has proven to be the primary cause of mental health issues like depression and suicide. One of the contributors to suicide is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a form of cybercrimes that takes place anonymously on the internet. It involves the sending, posting, or the sharing of negative, false, harmful, or mean materials on the web about someone else; it can include the sharing of personal information about individuals in the social media platform for the eyes of the public. The sharing of this information, in turn, causes humiliation and embarrassment to the victims. As a result of disgrace, most teenagers result in harming themselves or finding ways to prevent or end the shame and humiliation and turn to suicides. Another influence of suicide is depression.
Depression as a result of social media takes place when one is cyberbullied. Cyberbullying contributes to victimization among the people cause the victims to suffer from health effects such as depression, which I turn leads to suicidal thoughts and actions. Cyberbullying has been reported to be more intense and negatively impacting compared to face to face bullying. Another influence of suicide through social media is FOMO, also known as the fear of missing out. Social media has become a platform where everybody showcases everything happening. In the world today, all the operations taking place anywhere are on the internet.
For such reason, many people want to keep up with the world and the people of the world. New fashions, trends in sports, entertainment, food, style, nature, all these aspects keep evolving, and the fear of missing out on them causes many individuals to have depression that results in suicidal cases. Social media is fast growing and developing, and keeping up with it is hectic and expensive, however, due to the pressure of moving with the world among young people, some are not able to keep up with the world and end up ending their lives instead. Social media and mental health are mutually inclusive aspects, meaning they go hand in hand. Social media is a positive aspect that has made life comfortable and easier for human beings. It has made the world a global village leading to developments in human interaction, education, economy, and business. On the other hand, prolonged, uncontrolled, and impulsive use of social media leads to mental health complications like depression and suicide.
In conclusion, social media is a significant development in the world today. Through social media, there has been a substantial enhancement in the fields of human interaction, education, economy, entertainment, practical communication, and business, and many other sectors. On the other hand, social media has also caused some negative aspects, such as being a significant influence of suicide among individuals in the world. As the infamous saying states, too much of everything is poisonous.” Social media is not a negative aspect, but too much of it is toxic to the world. Individuals should, therefore, use social media responsibly and compulsively to ensure that they ensure its benefits and at the same time, have stable health in their cognition. Social media has its advantages and disadvantages. However, it is very beneficial to people in the world. The benefits of social media in the world today exceed the risks.