Chelsea Abrams

Social media is an interactive platform that promotes the exchange of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual societies. Social media is a broad title; many don’t know it has a variety of classes. 

There are the predominately utilized social networks Facebook and Twitter and media sharing networks like Youtube, Snapchat, and Instagram. Also there are content curation networks your Pinterest and Flipboard, and the Reddit and Quora discussion forums.

The question remains: are these sites effectively developing our society or playing a role in its destruction ? It  is debatable if the impact of social media is positive or negative. According to Pew Research Centers website, “15% of those ages 18 to 29 say social media have a mostly positive effect on the way things are going in the country today, while just 8% of those over age 30 say the same. Americans 18 to 29 are also less likely than those 30 and older to say social media have a mostly negative impact (54% vs. 67%)” 

The general public’s view of the effect of social media varies broadly from political motive and ideology.

Media has its positive attributes; it is one of the fastest ways to spread information, helps students do better in school, supports social and business networking.

  It also plays a factor in improving one’s quality of life and promotes political engagement.  

 Despite its usefulness, social media is not what it all seems. 

Social media allows the spread of unreliable and false information around the web and blocks face-to-face interactions. 

 According to the Help Guide, “Heavy social media use could be masking other underlying problems, such as stress, depression, or boredom.”  A heavy online presence can operate as a distraction and, students who use social media frequently present lower grades. 

Online platforms prove to be facilitators of cyberbullying and can serve as the spread of various hate groups.  According to Britannica Pros & Cons, “ A study of English-language Twitter posts found that around 10,000 tweets per day contained racial slurs, 30% of which were deemed derogatory”  

Social media is one of the most versatile progressions in communicative history but its negative attributes prove it is necessary to regulate it.