Name : CHETHAN N

20BCA006

Class : 2nd Sem BCA

Social Media: Constructive or Destructive?

Social media have become prominent parts of life for many young people today. Most
people engage with social media without stopping to think what the effects are on our
lives, whether positive or negative. Are we as a society becoming more concerned with
Facebook "friends" than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily
lives?
Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram began as platforms to communicate
with those you might not be in close physical proximity to. Now, social media is so much
more than just a means of communication.
The expansion of social media largely began in the early 2000s, with the age of first-time
users becoming younger and younger each year. Commonsense.org explores this idea,
stating that “Children have to be at least 13 to sign up for most social media platforms.
But we know that many tweens work around this restriction.”
A common issue associated with social networking is cyberbullying. This is particularly
common among adolescents. According to bullyingstatistics.org, “Over half of
adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged
in cyber bullying.” This is an alarmingly high percentage.
Though parents often restrict their children’s use of social media because they believe it
is harmful to mental health, this is not entirely true. Yes, social media usage can have an
array of negative consequences, but this is not the case for everyone. According to the
NIH, “Some authors have indicated that certain SNS activities might be associated with
low self-esteem, especially in children and adolescents. Other studies have presented
opposite results in terms of positive impact of social networking on self-esteem.”
Freshman Kelly Ren looks on both sides of the social media debate. “I think social media
is a really good way to connect with people and make new friends but can also be toxic
[because] it can make you feel insecure or feel excluded at times,” Ren said.
Senior Sean Kim corroborates this idea of increased connectivity through social
networking. Referencing the coronavirus, Kim said, “Social media is beneficial,
especially now because a lot of people cannot see their friends and peers in person. It’s a
great way to keep in touch and communicate with them.” Kim, like most high school
students, has an Instagram account that he checks regularly. He believes it to be
“detrimental because it can be very distracting. I notice that I check my feed a lot more
than I need to,” Kim said.
Social networking and the internet in general will never be an entirely positive or
negative establishment. Therefore, people need to decide for themselves whether or not
they believe the advantages are worth the disadvantages. “I think the benefits of social
media do outweigh the downsides. Social media can help a lot of people express
themselves and can create new friendships,” Ren said.
Social media can connect old friends, help spread awareness, give a platform to share
good news, teach consumers new things, and provide numerous other benefits. That
being said, it comes with risks, including the destruction of relationships, harm to mental
health, promotion of bullying, interference with time management and others.