Introduction: Computers and the Internet
One of the new inventions in the current world is the computers and the internet. Unlike in the past, computers allow the communication of people from various parts of the world from the comfort of their homes. The invention of the social media is a close linkage to the computer technology. Many people embraced the media from the multiple benefits of communication, sharing ideas and files such as photos and music. However, extended use of the platform is exposing the negative side of it. For example, many young people are addicted to the media leading to wastage of time, which results in negative performances in class. Most of the people affected are those below the age of thirty years. Currently, cellular devices can access the internet from any location. Therefore, it is a common view to see a young person walking while using the phone. Such occurrences indicate the levels of addiction in the society today. Social media exposes the users to cyberbullying from perverted users, addiction, and exposure to the obscene material.
Cyberbullying in Social Media
Some of the users in the media are cyber bullies. Such people harass other users through messages, pictures or even video calls. The anonymity created by the media, where a user can create an account using false details, makes it impossible to trace the person physically. For the young users, cyberbullying can be detrimental to their confidence in both the online platform as well as the contemporary world. The bullies find pleasure in harassing other users, which bring out the negative implication of the media (Krumsiek 26). Cyberbullying takes any shapes, for example, people form groups which they use in spreading rumors and malicious information on other users. Others send threatening messages, which cause discomfort and psychological torture to those affected. More so, some of the bullies hack the accounts of other users, steal their personal information and use it in identity theft. Therefore, it is advisable for the users to regulate the amount of information exposed in the media to mitigate the effects of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can lead to depression for the harassed users, which might go to the extent of committing suicide.
Social Media Addiction
Secondly, social media is very addictive (Schegg and Brigitte 670). Globally, 3.1 billion people use the social media. Some form groups where they chat and share pictures making the media a preferred mode of communication among the young people. Currently, over two hundred million people suffer from social media addiction. Such people spend over five hours in a day accessing the media. Such behaviors are very unhealthy and lead to reduced productivity in their areas of the profession. The addiction leads to social media usage at night where the users wake up at night to check on any notifications or messages from the friends. Using the cellular gadgets may lead to problems for the eyes of the users. The addicted users seem to consider everything happening in the media with too much seriousness (Sari 91). For example, they upload pictures and rely on the comments of the friends to determine their worth. If such people get negative comments on their photos, their self-esteem reduces considerably affecting their interaction with people in the physical world. Social media addiction requires regulated use, especially for the smartphone users who keep accessing the media frequently.
Obscene Material in Social Media
Social media contains a lot of obscene material such as photos and videos (Brasch and Dana 153). The users uploading the content fail to make them inaccessible for the young users. For a teenager, viewing such images makes them wish to practice whatever they see in the media. In the current world, there are many sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis and HIV. Therefore, such photos and video can be detrimental to the lives of the young people when they practice what they see in the media. It is impossible to regulate the content uploaded on the media or accessed by the users. The earlier exposure puts the morals in the society in jeopardy. It becomes hard for the parents to understand the content located by the children. Through the media, it is possible for the users to download the materials and review them during their free time. In as much as some of the people use the media in communicating religious messages, the negative implication of the obscene material is creating irreversible damage to the population.
Conclusion: Negative Implications and Mitigation
Social media has many positive gains for the population through secure communication and transfer of media over long distances. However, the diversified use leads to addiction for the users. In the past, users could only access social media using computers, which were not portable. Currently, cellular devices can access the internet as well as the social media. Their portability makes social media more addictive due to easy access. The addictiveness of the media makes the users spend over five hours a day in the media, with others waking up at night to check on the messages and notifications from friends. Further, social media users experience bullying by other fanatics in the form of messages, spreading rumors and false accusations, as well as identity theft. Cyberbullying affects the users emotionally, leading to reduced confidence and emotional stress. Lastly, social media is full of obscene material. For the young users, the content is very inappropriate. However, it is impossible to regulate the media accessed by young people due to the massive amount of information possessed on the internet. To avert all these negative implications, it is essential for the users to reduce the amount of time and information shared on social media for privacy purposes.
Works Cited
Brasch, Walter M., and Dana R. Ulloth. Social foundations of the mass media. Lanham, Md: University Press of America, 2001. Print.
Krumsiek, Allison. Cyber mobs : destructive online communities. New York: Lucent Press, 2018. Print.
Sari, Gulsah. Handbook of research on children's consumption of digital media. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2018. Print.
Schegg, Roland, and Brigitte Stangl. Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2017 : Proceedings of the International Conference in Rome, Italy, January 24-26, 2017. Cham: Springer Verlag, 2017. Print.
