Social Networking in our Lives
SOCIAL NETWORKING IN OUR LIVES
INTRODUCTION
I’m sure everyone reading this article must have been scolded by their elders for being on the phones most of the time! Which leads me to think about the fact that social media is not just limited to a mere virtual network, but it is a whole different world that we live in. A virtual world that affects our realities.
Blurring the distance between our loved ones is the greatest magic of social media. It has its own pro’s and cons, but it is turning into more of an addiction now. The social media is so deeply rooted in our daily lives, that we can’t imagine one task to be done without it! It helps us connect our important contacts, manage and promote our businesses, share our art and what not! Think upon the Impact of Social Media on our Daily Life
QUOTE
“This is an era where we stare more at screen than in someone’s eyes”
“Social media is addictive precisely because it gives us what this real world lacks: Immediacy, direction, and a value as a person. ” – David Amerland
STATISTICS – What Numbers have to Say?
- 57% of all mobile users will not recommend a business if their mobile website is poorly designed.
- 88% of marketers say customer service provided through social media is more popular and beneficial to their brands.
- Snapchat and Instagram are 43% more popular than YouTube and Facebook in young adults aged 19-29.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Connectivity: Enables communication and connection with people globally, fostering a sense of community. | 1. Time Consumption: Excessive use of social media can lead to time wastage and decreased productivity. |
| Information Sharing: Provides a platform for sharing news, knowledge, and ideas, facilitating rapid dissemination of information. | 2. Information Overload: The abundance of information can be overwhelming and lead to misinformation or “fake news” spreading rapidly. |
| Networking: Facilitates professional networking and career opportunities by connecting individuals with like-minded professionals and job prospects. | 3. Privacy Concerns: Social media platforms can compromise user privacy, leading to data breaches and potential misuse of personal information. |
| Creativity and Self-expression: Allows individuals to showcase their talents, creativity, and thoughts through multimedia content. | 4. Cyberbullying and Trolling: Social media can be a breeding ground for online harassment, bullying, and hate speech. |
| Awareness and Activism: Enables social and political movements, raising awareness and mobilizing communities for various causes. | 5. Social Comparison and FOMO: Constant exposure to curated and idealized lives on social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy and fear of missing out (FOMO). |
| Business Opportunities: Provides a platform for businesses to reach a wider audience, engage with customers, and promote products or services. | 6. Negative Impact on Mental Health: Excessive social media use has been linked to increased anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem in some individuals. |
| Educational Resources: Offers access to educational content, online courses, and resources for self-improvement and learning. | 7. Distraction and Addiction: Social media can be addictive, leading to decreased focus, disrupted sleep patterns, and reduced real-life social interactions. |
DESCRIPTION – Let’s take a Deep Dive
The term “social networking” implicates our social needs of being expressed through various online platforms. People can share photos, videos, articles on various media and can express their views more freely. They’re more confident about being noticed online than being in the physical world.
But with great power, comes great responsibility. Acceptance of social media is very important among youngsters today. Likes and comments build their personality, as well as destroy it. This most amazing world has a very threatening dark side too.
Comparing one’s life with someone else, or judging our own personality traits due to some trends is some of the bad influence of social media.
Social media mainly has its importance because of its quick. Let’s take an example of the railway administration response on Twitter. By simply lodging a complaint with details about your seat number, and your troubles, you can get the help in a few minutes.
Just tag the authorities and your complaint will be taken care of. This modern form of providing solutions needs to be adopted widely.
ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL NETWORKING
- You can get literally anything at your door in a few clicks. Food, clothes, electronics, services etc. the rural areas still need the proper technology and awareness to achieve this, but in a few years getting the desired services won’t be a miracle anymore.
- With digitalisation, you can easily analyse and invest your finances in proper places, and various social media platform can guide you through your queries.
- Apps like Pinterest, Instagram, provide artists with a free platform to showcase their art and get valued recognition for their work. These apps also support small scale businesses to showcase their products and gain a wider consumer base.
DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL NETWORKING
- Influencers active on social media often create an illusion of a luxurious and expensive lifestyle, which attracts most of us. This often leads to comparison, sadness, greed or even depression. One can never state the difference between an illusion and reality on social media. We should always be careful about what we believe in.
- “Fake news” is big trouble these days which is hard to tackle with. Social media being the quickest platform to spread rumours can sometimes result in unwanted outcomes. One must always check the truth quotient in particular news before sharing it further.
- An average young adult aged 21-29 spend 3+ hours of his day on social media. This often results in laziness, loss of creativity, loss of will to work. This is an alarming condition as this virtual world is carrying us away from reality.
CONCLUSION
Social networking is definitely a crucial part of our existence. It is helping us in various manners to build up our finances and social image. But one should always be aware of what he looks into, what does he share an what does he believes in.
Although social media helps us build a strong social network around us, its mostly virtual, and we need to see the importance of physical contact with people around us. Spending one fine evening with neighbours, rather than sitting and observing posts on social media can definitely help us build a real social world.
Author – Shreya More
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