It’s never pleasant to deal with having a bad reputation. Even if such a reputation is deserved, most things in life are rarely ever clear-cut, and there can be different sides to a story. When it comes to social media, much of the conversation around it in the last few years has been negative, whether relating to how it polarizes and divides people, or to the issues it can cause with self-perception and body image issues.
One must be candid and acknowledge the issues that swirl around social media, and the negative effects it can have on individuals and communities. However, it’s also important to recognize that we’re not entirely helpless in the face of these challenges. Through its wise use and moderating our expectations of it, we can safeguard ourselves from much of its dark side.
Some negative effects of social media
We are communicative beings, expressing our thoughts, emotions, dreams, and fears through words, pictures, facial expressions, and more.
We didn’t need social media to be able to communicate our ideas to one another, but what social media has done is enable us to communicate faster and gather with others in virtual spaces in ways we weren’t able to before. An internet-capable device is all that’s needed to gain access and participate in this connected new world.
Social media, like everywhere else where people congregate, takes the best and the worst aspects of us and can multiply it. You can find the most remarkable and heartwarming things on various social media platforms, including beauty, courage, generosity, inventiveness, and humor. Similarly, you can also find greed, exploitation, divisiveness, deception, and so on. Some of its negative effects include the following:
- Cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and harassment.
- Social isolation, through disconnecting with the people around you to connect online.
- Issues with privacy, including through apps and websites selling your personal information.
- Addiction, whether it’s the addiction to the constant flow of information or living for likes and reposts.
- Greater incidence of depression and anxiety in connection with social media usage.
- Being distracted and not focusing on pressing tasks.
- Spread of misinformation, echo chambers, and polarization, as the algorithms on social media platforms, tend to reinforce existing biases, and these may be left unchallenged if everyone you listen to or interact with online has views similar to yours.
- Unhealthy comparisons with others and forming unrealistic expectations about life or what your body should look like. Social media is where people curate their personas, putting out carefully picked, filtered, and airbrushed versions of themselves.
- Fear of missing out, which can lead people to follow trends without discernment, even when those trends are foolish or outright dangerous.
Noting these negative effects doesn’t minimize the positives. We’re able to connect with loved ones, share new ideas with others, meet new people, and have access to information in ways that were once the stuff of science fiction.
Addressing its negative effects
The first step to dealing with a problem is being aware that there is one. If social media usage can be a problem in some of the ways listed above, you can take steps for yourself or your loved ones to protect yourself from the negative aspects of social media.
One thing to do, if you have children that you care for, is to model wise behavior with your technology. Our little ones copy what they see, and if they see us glued to our devices, constantly checking them, always being entertained and diverted by them, they have every incentive to follow suit. If you want the children in your care to act differently toward social media, then that behavior needs to be modeled first.
Set boundaries for yourself. It’s up to every person how they choose to make use of it. You can choose how much of yourself to put out there, but do so knowing that you are surrendering your privacy. Setting boundaries also means choosing to limit how much use you make of social media, and taking steps like putting your phone down during mealtimes helps you control your usage.
Making yourself aware of cybersecurity concerns is another helpful step you can take as you use social media. Data leaks occur often, and sensitive information is stolen or made public. It’s a good rule of thumb to never put anything on the internet that could end up being viewed by everyone. Have strong passwords to your accounts and change them if there’s ever a breach you become aware of.
Lastly, don’t allow yourself to be lured in by social media. It’s good to remain aware of the fabricated nature of the reality represented online. Don’t mistake it for the real world and start making comparisons of your life and what you see online. Talk to people around you and connect with them instead of getting your news and views online. Make sure to prioritize face-to-face time with loved ones.
Social media has many benefits, but it can also have a negative effect on your life. If you’re struggling with the hold that it has on your life, and if you’re experiencing some of the negative effects of being on social media, contact us at Encinitas Christian Counseling to schedule an appointment with a counselor.
Your counselor in Encinitas can help you process the allure of social media, and how you can best manage your use of social media and maintain healthy relationships with the people in your life.
“Phone Pic”, Courtesy of Josh Rose, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Selfie”, Courtesy of Angela Franklin, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Man Using Phone”, Courtesy of Derick Anies, Unsplash.com, CC0 License
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Jennifer Kooshian: Author
Jennifer Kooshian lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with her husband of 32 years on a small homestead near Lake Superior. They have five adult children and one grandson. She also has an ever-changing number of chickens, a mellow old cat, and a...
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