Disadvantages of Social Media

We have all heard the positive aspects of such websites they provide complete connectivity,
bring people with common interests together, and create a platform to share your life with the
rest of the world. However over all this brouhaha, if we ponder over the subject for a while, a
few negatives of this new phenomenon come to light. Some key disadvantages of social
networking or rather say risks associated with it are highlighted below.

Disadvantage of Social Networking for people

The balance of good and evil in the world needs to be maintained. Naturally when a far reaching
medium such as the internet brings us social networking sites that spice up our lives a little, it
also attracts the fractious few of society. Some of the things that could lead to potential social
disaster are:

1. The one potential risk of social networking cited most often is that of hacking. Incidents
of profiles and accounts being hacked into are commonplace. While this could be
restricted to simply playing a practical joke on a friend, it sometimes leads to the more
serious misdemeanour of identity theft. This requires a low level of technical skill and is
referred to as social engineering. This technique banks upon the psychological aspect of a
friend connection; the hacker uses common interests, background and professional
information (all of which are posted on profiles) to extract sensitive information, like
passwords and other details from the targeted individual and use them to create an
alternate identity. Just using simple data like date of birth, name and location allows
hackers to create fake social security cards, drivers licenses and ID cards. Almost 15
million Americans are victims, either directly or indirectly, of identity theft.The
surprising part is that even though people are adequately aware of the risks, only 40% of
them manage their privacy settings (according to a survey conducted by PCWorld). Thus
investing some time on securing your account against fraudsters and unknown
individuals would prove to be beneficial in the long run.
2. Another disadvantage of social networks is that it can help create something which does
not exist or may not be as good as it is presented. For example, if you go to Amazon and
see a product has 100 positive reviews while the other has only 20, you are likely to buy
the one with hundred. This is how human psychology. So if 100 people have shared a
post, you are likely to share it too while it may actually be a hoax or plain spam. You
must have seen those click like and see what happens posts on facebook. They get
thousands of likes! The same illusion is created for personal lives of people. Just posting
happy and party pictures do not mean one is actually happy!
3. While social media can help people / companies create good image, it can also be used to
tranish an image with false claims. A viral social media post talking how a product can
cause problems can lead to huge losses to a firm. Till the time the company realises most
of the damage is done.
4. Another potential hazard of putting up pictures and videos on these websites is that they
could be used for defamation. Reported cases include girls photos being photo-shopped
and used in objectionable places. Also instances where people use social networking sites
 to abuse or defame anonymously are constantly reported. A Telegraph report outlines a
case where cyber bullying was being used by students to intimidate teachers and staff.
5. People recruited in high security professions like the defence services, national project
engineers and scientist face an added disadvantage of hackers misusing any leaked
classified information. Any unintended slip of information could have serious
ramifications if it falls into the wrong hands. Infact people looking to get close to
employees working in highly confidential industries use social media to profile and study
them. This is not a movie or a TV serial story no more.
6. All over the world social media websites are used to get up close and personal without
even revealing the true identity. There have been numerous scandals in which people
have gone as far as marrying each other and then realizing the truth. These relationships
based on false information often lead to serious consequences. There have been so many
cases in developing countries where people fall in love over social media website and end
up being cheated financially, emotionally and physically.

Health Problems
There is an extensive range of mental and health problems known to be associated with spending
too much time on social media. In addition to reducing productivity, creating distractions and
increasing burnouts, they can cause some serious medical issues.

1. Excessive time spent on social networks causes some individuals to experience

withdrawal symptoms. They retreat from actual interaction with fellow humans and
assume a virtual persona. Common signs are anxiety, distress, boredom and loneliness,
much the same as a typical addiction! A study 24 hours: Unplugged conducted by
the University of Maryland led to the conclusion that majority of students are incredibly
addicted to social media.
2. Regular recreational or social activities take a back seat when social networking is the
prime agenda. Face to face interaction and socialising becomes something of a burden to
an addict. In extreme cases interactions with close friends and family also stops and is
substituted by virtual communication. Much furore was created about this very aspect
due to a paper published by Dr. Aric Sigman, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine,
where he mentions that a lack of face-to-face networking could alter the way genes
work, upset immune responses, hormone levels, the function of arteries, and influence
mental performance.
3. The lack of social interaction could result in people suffering from more stress related
diseases and disorders than before. Dr. Aric Sigman in his paper points out the link
between reduced human interaction time and problems like suffering a stroke, blood
pressure, colds, dementia and cognitive problems.

Disadvantage of Social Networking for professionals and

companies
The social network revolution has left no strata of our society untouched. Organisations face
issues over lost productivity due to employees spending their time on social media. For firms
that dole out payments by the hour, each hour of productivity lost through employees updating
their profiles or adding a Twitpic, could prove costly. Most organisations these days do have
set guidelines about the use of social media in the work place, however their implementation is a
major hassle.

10 Disadvantages of Social Networking

1. Lacks Emotional Connection

A couple weeks ago, one of my friends and I got into a fight and she told me all of her feelings
as to why she ignored me for two weeks. Assuming it would have been really hard to say it to
my face, she sent me a text message. The negative side was I didnt know if she truly felt sorry
because I didnt hear it from her. The quality of a conversation using social media is awful
because you cannot sense the emotion or enthusiasm from the other person. It makes you wonder
if they actually mean what they say.

2. Gives People a License to be Hurtful

I do think it has gotten to an extreme point where you can say things you cant say or get away
with in person.

Im disappointed whenever I hear about social media being used as a way to hurt people. I
wonder if this happens when the writers forget that there are real people behind the screen.

3. Decreases Face-to-Face Communication Skills

Computer reliance could hurt a persons ability to have a face to face conversation by making it
awkward and unusual to hear something and respond with a thoughtful message through the
spoken word because of ones dependence on a keyboard to convey a message.

4. Conveys Inauthentic Expression of Feelings

Social media conversations today are filled with haha, LOL, and other exclamations that
are meant to represent laughter. This shorthand has become second nature and is often used when
the sender is not even smiling, much less laughing, in real life. On the occasion that our
roflcopter is actually put to use at a funny moment, we are replacing actual laughter with, in
this case, a simple ten-letter acronym. According to Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist
at Oxford, the actual physical act of laughter, and not the abstract idea of something being funny,
is what makes laughing feel so good. If we are so willing to replace the act that, honestly, we all
love, with an artificial, typed representation that doesnt even bring the same joy, what else
would we be, potentially subconsciously, willing to exchange?
5. Diminishes Understanding and Thoughtfulness

Since the inception of social networking, the quality of conversations has dropped. I believe that
people are spending so much time online that they dont always understand the feeling, emotion
and/or character of the person they are talking to. When you talk to someone through a message
or even a voice, you cant always fully understand them.

Social networking has ruined the thoughtfulness in basically saying hello in person. For
instance, you could say hello to your friend in Germany with Facebook, chat in seconds; but
what if there was no way to communicate via social networking? Well you would have to write
them a letter and that is something very thoughtful.

6. Causes Face-to-Face Interactions to Feel Disconnected

When I see my friends on their phones and I am around them, I feel disconnected even though
we are only two feet apart.. Unfortunately, sometimes friends use their phones so much that it
is difficult to have an actual conversation with them. Sometimes friends can get so socially
attached to something such as a blog or gaming console that they lose touch with friends,
creating small gaps and holes in close friendships/relationships.
7. Facilitates Laziness

The new socially active era causes laziness because instead of running to your friends you can
message them. Or instead of walking upstairs to notify the family of dinner, I can blog it. Social
networking makes life so convenient that it creates laziness. In my opinion staying fit is
important, but it is difficult to go beyond the newly developed status quo.

Its really easy to spend hours doing nothing.Its a fantastic way to waste time.

8. Creates a Skewed Self-Image

We tell ourselves lies about ourselves and develop something we are not. We post pictures of us
looking perfect and share the good news. We never post pictures of ourselves when our dog dies,
when someone we love leaves, and when we lose a job. We never share the bad news that always
clouds our lives. We all develop this perfect image of ourselves and some of us actually try to
rely on this imaginative thought we have of ourselves instead of staying true to who we are.

9. Reduces Family Closeness

Texting, Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail alienate us from our families more than we actually
think it does. When my family is spending family time together and watching a movie, in
reality my brother and I are on our phones rather than actually watching the movie with our
parents.

10. Causes Distractions

When I have my phone out, it makes me feel like nothing else is going on around me. I use
social media as a way to feel popular, important, and also just to fit in. My friends and I always
compare ourselves to each other, wondering who has more Facebook friends or Twitter
followers. But what really ends up happening is I begin to talk less and end up relying on text for
a conversation. Ever since I got a smartphone I have been distracted from everything. I watch
television less, do homework less, and even spend less time with my friends and family.