The Affects of Social Media (Problem-Solution Essay)

The Affects of Social Media “In 2010, an estimate of the amount of people that use social media rounded up to 970,000. By 2018, 2.44 billion people will be using social networks.” (Guzman, 6 Ways Social Media Is Changing the World) Consequently, the amount of people using social media has increased drastically throughout the years due to the development of technology and social networking. The number of people using social media continues to grow everyday for many reasons such as instant gratification that these online networks have to offer. Moreover, the expansion of the social networks led people to abuse the initial purpose of technology and forms of communication. For example, people that are deeply involved in social media usually post pictures and personal information on their feed that can be viewed publicly. These actions can negatively impact one’s life that can lead to crucial complications. The use of the Internet and social media has caused a major drawback that our generation faces today, and certain precautions should be implied among social media users to ensure safety. In today’s digital day and age, there are many issues that arise from social media and internet use which, includes the privacy and personal background information of people’s lives. Nowadays, people lean towards networks such as, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat… and so forth as a form of publicly displaying their personal life and as a tool for people to communicate and keep in touch with one another. These social networks make it easier for users to reach and contact people instantly from all over the globe. Users of social media find posting pictures and videos of themselves as a popular form of self-expression however, people disregard the fact that these pictures and videos can be viewed publicly which makes it easier for strangers to have access to personal data. Due to how extensive these social networks are, people are more likely to form virtual relationships. Relationships such as, dating and new friendships. Despite that making relationships is a good communication skill, these relationships can also be a danger to the users that are forming them. One of the many reasons why these kinds of relationships can be dangerous is for the reason that, some people make fake profiles and add pictures of random people to make it seem like these profiles are real. For example, some of these fake profiles are old men that trick young girls into thinking they are modeling agencies looking for models and delude these girls into sending them pictures in bathing suits for their own pleasure. At this point, personal details are threatened more than ever whether they are viewed publicly or sent privately. Recently, the extent to which people are willing to reach to gain viewers and attention is senseless. People post irresponsibly which can be harmful in the near future. Many people and especially teenagers, do not make good calculated choices on what to post on their profiles. Data that includes illegal activity, inappropriate information and words, and many more. All of which will have a negative impact on their life. Not only is it irresponsible but, people have been abusing the internet in many different ways such as, making posts about politics and racial discrimination in which, it could cause a conflict between a lot of people. The conflict might arise for the reason that not everyone has the same political or religious views and beliefs. In addition, teenagers are affected the most by the outcome of social media, this includes their friends and family because, social networks have several inner circles that connects everyone together. People that are trying to get into the professional world could also be affected because some posts might not be work appropriate and might sabotage the companies image. Finding a job could be difficult due to posting irresponsibly. Some employers look closely into the personal backgrounds of their employees before hiring them, and their social media profiles can determine their job positions. Therefore, these certain and specific posts and activity with social media are for self-affirmation, and that users are trying to escape the principles of reality. The internet is very widespread that any piece of information can be found instantly. The problem where people improperly use social media and abuse the internet has two main causes. The first cause is the deprivation of attention and extreme need of being seen and acknowledged by society. In other words, social-affirmation. Users of social media literally go the extra mile for likes on pictures and followers because the more affirmation they get from society, the more popular they get in the public eye. The second cause to why people act irresponsibly towards social media is escapism. “The fact of escaping reality by avoiding actual problems and conflicts and immediately turning to social media to feel better.” (Squires, The Cause and Effects in Social Media) This also causes people to abuse the privilege of using the internet which makes them take their frustration to social media. Furthermore, these causes are followed by serious consequences such as cyberbullying, identity theft, invasion of privacy, and blackmail. There are many problems caused by the excessive usage of social media that have been identified. However, there are plenty of solutions that can prevent these problems. Social media users need to understand the knowledge of applying privacy settings to prevent personal leakage. Users of social media need to thoroughly understand how to appropriately apply the proper privacy settings in which suits their role online. Many users have the knowledge on how to apply these settings yet, they decide to ignore them which could result in a negative outcome. Therefore, these privacy settings could save users to risk leaking personal data that may be damaging to their lives and careers. Additionally, users have to apply security measures to avoid threats that can occur by sharing personal information. Todays hackers and online abusers are finding new ways to penetrate the security systems and firewalls that stand between them and their targeted victims’ personal data that they are after for threats including blackmail, identity theft, stalking, and hacking of computers and social profiles. For this purpose, websites are applying more advanced security measures to beat these threats. Moreover, people need to take precautions on what and what not to post online. A huge percentage of the world uses some form of social media. However, many do not realize the sensitivity of what they post. People should be aware of why they should avoid posting certain information that could be misleading and damaging to their social and professional lives. The consequences of sharing the same social media site and profiles for personal and professional use can come along with many problems such as, having a hard time in finding a decent job that determines their future. Since, many companies require background checks which, includes looking into their employee’s personal lives and most of the company’s research is composed of observing the employee’s profiles on social media. After all, employers look after their image by whom they hire to expand their business. Whether being political, social, or everyday content, sharing certain parts of your personal life is not always best suited for viewers linked to your professional life. On the other hand, social media does have its advantages that helps people evolve into a civilized world. People enhance their relationships through social media by personal follow ups with contacts and reaching out to mutual friends. This also helps maintain friendships and it is made easier by means of instant communication. Another benefit of social media is following trends. There are many pages online that keep followers up to date with the latest trends occurring worldwide. Users can learn many things that can enhance their lifestyles by following different blogs online. Aside from the advantages, there are also disadvantages to social media. Forming online relationships can also be a major drawback because virtual communications are less profound than communicating face-to-face. Virtual relationships include being associated with people that are complete strangers and being involved with strangers can be dangerous in many aspects. An additional downside to social media is that it can affect one’s health by isolating people from real world interactions which for one, makes them lack communication skills. Overall, there is no actual proof as to how social media can be beneficial. Social media has overpowered people in a way that could be dangerous creating negative impacts to personal lives. Users take many hours out of their day towards social media and it has transformed the way people view themselves and the way they present themselves. The over-use of social media can really affect the emotional and mental health of a person. There are many precautions that need to be implied to this society. Instant gratification and easy access can be deteriorating to our society. People need to change their habits of abusing social networking to maintain a healthy and safe lifestyle.