Imagine this: you wake up in the morning, and instead of seeing an early morning sunrise or your family’s face, you’re looking for your phone to check about new streaming posts, reels, and updates from people across the globe. Nowadays people are more connected to the online world than the real world. Millions of people face the same issue every day. This highlights the impact of social media on our society.
Online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube have transformed how we communicate, share ideas, and interact with others. The effects of social media on our lives is so powerful that it influences everything from the trends we follow to our political views.
The purpose here isn’t to convince you that social media is entirely good or bad, but rather to help you understand both sides.
One of the most positive effects of social media is how it has made the world virtually small. Online platforms have made connectivity easy and fast. People can now call or message someone across the globe with just a few taps. Platforms like Facebook have created strong bonds by helping users reconnect with long-lost friends, relatives, and family members. Social media has also made it easier to form communities where people with similar interests can come together and share their thoughts regardless of where they live.
During natural disasters and emergencies, social media has been a blessing. It allows people to quickly post updates on platforms and access real-time information. Many on platforms have enabled users to contact their families and let them know they are safe. This immediate communication ability has saved countless lives and brought communities together during critical times.
The effect of social media on youth is so powerful, especially in EDUCATION. Students can now access lectures from world-renowned professors, watch tutorials on practically any skill imaginable, and participate in discussions with experts in their field of interest. YouTube alone has become a virtual university where you can learn everything from anywhere, all for free.
News and current events also spread faster than ever before through online channels. Social movements, scientific discoveries, & breaking news can now reach millions of people within minutes, creating awareness & sparking conversations that might not have been possible before social media platforms.
Social media has a very significant economic impact. Small businesses, which once struggled to compete with larger corporations, can now use the same strategy and tools to understand customers interests and behaviors. Entrepreneurs can now test their new product and gather feedback from customers and other sources, allowing them to make improvements before its launch.
Social media have created many new career paths, like influencers, content creators, social media managers, & digital marketers—professions that didn’t exist twenty years ago. Now people use online platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to show their skills and earn money. These creators make their own communities where they show their skills and earn more money than traditional professionals.
While there are bright sides, positive effects of social media, there are also downsides; the impact of social media on mental health has created new challenges, especially among young people. When you see others posting about their vacations, new cars, or relationships. It can trigger comparisons. These constant comparisons with others highlight reels can lead to feelings of inadequacy, depression, and anxiety. It’s easy to feel low, even though you’re only seeing the best moments of their life.
People spend hours taking photos and crafting them to perfection. Creating the perfect post, choosing the right filters, and maintaining an online image can be exhausting. Worrying about how many likes and comments they will receive can be mentally draining. This constant comparison and need for validation from other people can create unhealthy habits and may even destroy their self-confidence. The disadvantages of social media have led to depression, anxiety, and loneliness, particularly among teenagers and young adults. A study by Harvard Health explains how social media effects media health – here’s the link.
The most concerning drawback of online platforms is the loss of privacy that comes with the detail we share about our lives, travel plans, family & friends’ lives, and how many likes, shares, and comments we make on a post. These platforms keep records and create profiles based on our interests, behaviors & preferences. This information is then used to target us with ads. it can also be sold to third parties or accessed by hackers with nasty intent.
Identity theft and fraud have become more common as criminals use online platforms to gather personal information about their victims. Sharing information on these platforms, such as name, birthdate, location, and family details, gives criminals access to sensitive data about you, which can be used to steal your identity or target you for scams.
Online platforms are addictive for all age users, even kids are included. These platforms use algorithmic techniques that keep users scrolling, clicking, and sharing posts without even realizing how much time they have wasted. Likes, comments, and notifications use an intermittent reward system that activates the brain’s pleasure centers. This makes it difficult for us to put our phones down and focus on other activities. 
Understanding both the advantages and disadvantages of social media is important for navigating our increasingly connected world. These platforms are useful as well as addictive, so the goal is to use these platforms mindfully with purpose. Remember that the people & companies behind these platforms have invested billions of dollars in making them as engaging as possible, so it’s normal to struggle with moderation.
The future of social media will likely bring both new opportunities and new challenges. As these platforms continue to evolve and new ones emerge, it will become increasingly important to stay informed about their impacts and maintain a healthy boundary with technology.