4 Ways Social Media Influences Society
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When social media first emerged in the 2000s, it was a place to catch up with old friends and share photos of what you were up to. However, as social media has evolved over the years, so has its influence and power. It's no longer simply a place to share photos of your spaghetti or share the evolution of your life. At this point, it has become an important social tool, and in some ways many people's identity. They rely on social media for their political standpoints, beliefs, and even to promote their business. Some people even use social media as their main source of keeping up with the news. And while there are many positive aspects to social media that connect us and even increase our knowledge, there are also some negative aspects that come along with the influence social media has on us as a society. Here are some of the most notable ways that social media influences society. Connection Social media is there to connect us in ways that were never possible once upon a time. For example, if we would have found ourselves in lockdown before the age of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, chances are many of us would have struggled a lot more with feelings of loneliness. Social media allows us to communicate with each other constantly despite being in different places. Unfortunately, this can become an addiction for some people who feel the need to constantly be in contact with others through posts and likes. The thrill they get from someone leaving a comment or like their post is like a hit of dopamine. Education Social media is used by many students to access information for their assignments and connect with other students. There is a whole wealth of videos, articles, and interviews on social media where curious minds can gather the information that they need. What's more, they can connect with other students to share ideas, and theories. Influence Influencers have an enormous impact on people's opinions and even buying decisions. Many people find themselves susceptible to a herd-like mentality when they see multiple accounts sharing the same opinion on viewpoints and issues. In some cases, people may even go against what they truly believe in an effort to fit in with everyone else. Mental Health There have been many instances of people's mental health being impacted by the power of social media. Beauty, for example, is believed by many to have reached impossible standards because of filters and editing apps that caused unhealthy complexes. There's also the issue of online bullying which comes along with the anonymity of the internet. Since people can hide behind whatever photo or account they want, they can tend to be vicious which can even lead to tragedies, like suicide.
