Social media has fully developed in the last few years. A coin has two sides.

So does this technology which has spread

like wildfire

What is social media?

Social media is an internet-based form of communication. Social media platforms allow users to have conversations,
share information and create web content. There are many forms of social media, including blogs, micro-blogs, wikis,
social networking sites, photo-sharing sites, instant messaging, video-sharing sites, podcasts, widgets, virtual worlds, and
more.

What are the benefits of using social media?

Billions of people around the world use social media to share information and make connections. On a personal level,
social media allows you to communicate with friends and family, learn new things, develop your interests, and be
entertained.

Social media is the communal interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideas
in virtual communities. It has become the basic need and quality of human beings to be social. The spectacular
developments in communications and innovative and astonishing entertainment have given access to information and
the ability to provide a voice for people who would never have been heard. The current generation is fortunate enough
to witness some of the most amazing technological developments ever in history. It has become the rage of this age. 

How many followers do you have on Instagram? Did you check her WhatsApp status? Why
does he not like my pictures on Facebook? Well, these are some conversations friends
usually have. Social Media is nothing for them, but still, it is everything for them. 21st
generation is growing with Good mornings in social media and Goodnight through social
media. Social Media has created a significant impact on people irrespective of gender and
age difference.
One of the most common terms we come across these days is social media. Somehow, it has
become an integral part of our daily lives and in fact many people in the world today as just
obsessed with it. A combination of two words, “social” referring to the sharing of information
and data with others and “media” refers to the medium of communication, the internet being
the most preferred nowadays, the social media is something which has affected almost
everyone today. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Wikipedia, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Reddit
happen to the most popular social media platforms today.
Every tool has its own share of effects on the society. Social media is also not far behind and
has, in fact, affected our society to a larger extent, both in positive as well as in a negative
manner
The way I see it, it all depends on how these sites, like Facebook or Twitter, are being used. Social media itself can be
abused, overused, and taken advantage of. However, the power of social media itself is probably greater than the power
of any person, any novel, any ruler, or even any country. But, whether that incredible power is a blessing or a curse is
also one matter to question.
    Reputation
As mentioned earlier, hacking can ruin someone’s life. This also includes ruining their reputation.
Through hacking, a person can easily create false stories and this can easily get spread all over
the media like fire. Likewise, businesses that have a bad reputation on networking sites can face
financial disaster and the inability to sell their products.

Not every information may be correct here. Social media is a platform which holds all news
about almost everyone. However, it is not important that every single information which has
conveyed through social media should be accurate. There are times when people receive
wrong information only through this medium and spread like wildfire.

At first, this served as a revolution. For the very first time, people's voices and opinions were
coming together to form something larger than themselves. But we have to wonder, is that power
too much? History has repeated itself in telling us that it becomes a problem when one voice has
too much power. One only needs to look at people like Hitler, Idi Amin, and Mao Zong for proof
that giving one voice too much power can sink an entire people or nation. And in Egypt, this
corrupting nature of power turned itself over from the ruler to the subjects which resulted in the
same horrific effect. From this, it is clear that social media has a way of lending itself to this
attribute of power.
Another way social media can act as a curse is through its changing the behavior of
our society. Some say social media sites can lend to shorter attentions and less efficient work. Not
only that, but my generation, that is, teenagers, tends to abuse social media and use it for
popularity. Despite social media being a term with the connotation of connecting us, that seems to
be one thing it is doing least. People who abuse Facebook, for example, by requesting and
accepting as many 'friends' as possible, up to thousands, are giving those relationships artificial
traits. Those relationships are so scattered and insignificant that many people don't even know some
of their 'friends.' These thinning relationships have no such value, and are illusions of genuine
relationships. In this abuse of social media, values of building relationships and making new
connections, as were the intentions of social media, are taken away and transformed wrongfully.
Nevertheless, many people do use social media for positive purposes, which leads me to the side of
social media that is a complete blessing to this modern world.
Have we all forgotten about what our parents taught us --- do unto others what we want done to us. The rule
applies to social media as well. Instead of addressing the brutal facts of how we feel (about a person or a
company) in social media we should instead address them face to face with the person. Would we want the
person that we are not happy with writing something negative about us in social media? Are you perfect? Have
you looked in the mirror lately?
In this modern era, more and more people are becoming addicted to social media and sharing too much
information about themselves and in some cases posting negative things about other people. Social media has
its place, but rants will only cause harm, stress and damaged relationships. Are you addicted?
Friends have "dumped" friends because of nasty rants on social media. I ask you --- who wins? I think no one. 
Everything comes with a price. Social media is both a curse and a blessing as
everyone wants to be a star on virtual platforms. Social media has gained so
much momentum around the world that the new generation is incomplete without
it. Playgrounds are deserted because the youth is engrossed in social media to
get overnight fame. To become popular online, young people often take wrong
steps.

Mood swings
Of the multitude ways social media can be detrimental, the worst is its ability to induce
envy. Social Media constantly shoves into our faces the upbeat lifestyle of influencers,
their success stories, them having a good time on a Bali vacation and even what they
cook, watch, eat, and wear each and every day.

It can create the urge to have everything that others have and earning likes and constant
approval of others. This makes us want to participate in a race that doesn’t exist. We
forget the fact that almost everything on social media is pretentious. There is sometimes a
wide disparity between what people show and what people feel.

The constant comparison of others’ lives with our own is always pointless. It not only
affects our self-worth, happiness, and joy but in extreme cases, it can even lead to
depression. We have to be mindful of such traps. This might sound silly but one should be
cautious of the reality that life cannot be as sweet and fun as depicted on the ‘Gram’. We
all have to be ready to face the highs and lows of our lives, which is unique for every
individual.
When used correctly, the benefits of social media can far outweigh some of its downfalls.
Social media changes the world every day, in ways both small and large. For everyone who uses it,
social media at least promotes and encourages communication and lends to more modern ways of
learning and communicating. Not only do they lend to more efficiency in our rapidly evolving
technologically advanced society, but social media sites are also some of the best ways to positively
influence people by sharing your opinions. They act as platforms for your voice. If you have great
ideas or want to be heard or found, websites like Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn can promote
those good intentions. Through these sites, you can find millions of people who share the same
interests as you, and start making a difference, step by step.
Social media is a great place to learn about the good side of humankind. When people stay focused on the
positive it can be enlightening. Imagine the story on May 4, 2017 shown on ABC about a seven-year-old girl
who lost her leg and with a smile on her face battled to walk back to school. What a wonderful story of a
person's "will to live" and do good! I hope that you saw it. The story was picked up by social media and viewed
over 1.5 million times.

imagine how wonderful social media would be if we could become more disciplined as people
and less mean spirited by thinking about a few simple lessons and rules about using social
media. That brings me to the bad and ugly part of social media which, if we all employed a
little more judgement and kindness, would help social media to become a more positive
contributor to quality of life with less stress. After all, when did it become wise to "rant and
rave" about others while disdaining those who do it to us?
Despite the fact that lockdown had been lifted a while back, the expanded number
of COVID-19 cases, and the ascent of casualty hazard in getting along with individuals,
has truly made our lives difficult. As social creatures, people can’t be totally disconnected
from their social setting. We need to concede the way that we are related. We associate,
express worry for one another, and share our considerations, sentiments, feelings, and
stresses. This is the thing that makes us human.
Granted, Social Media is an efficient source of knowledge. But knowledge cannot always
be found in chat boxes or on fan pages of our favourite celebrity. Social Media sometimes
feeds us with useless data, while we are actually looking for something else. So, we have
to be vigilant while using the same.

Education – Social media has a considerable measure of advantages for the students and
instructors. It is anything but difficult to teach from other people who are specialists and
experts by means of online life. You can follow anybody to gain from him/her and improve
your insight into any field. Despite your area or education, you can teach yourself, and that
too without paying for it.

Help – You can impart your issues to the network to get help and energy. Regardless of
whether it is helping in term of cash or in term of counsel, you can get it from the network you
are associated with.

noble Cause – Social media can likewise be utilized for honourable motivations. For instance,
to advance an NGO, social welfare exercises and gifts for the penniless individuals can be
boosted using social media. Individuals are utilizing online life for a gift for destitute individuals
and it very well may be a speedy method to encourage such individuals.

Awareness – Social media additionally make mindfulness and develop the manner in which
individuals live. It is the web-based life which has helped individuals find new and inventive
stuff that can upgrade individual lives. From ranchers to educators, understudies to legal
advisors each person of the general public can profit by the web-based life and its
mindfulness factor.
No doubt, Social Media is a great link to connect with people and maintain healthy
relationships. However, social media comes along with some disadvantages as well which
are beyond your control. So, with that, one must always be careful while connecting with
people on social media. Try to be minimal in social media and share less of your personal
information on any account. By keeping a calculated approach and maintaining your sensitive
information, you can enjoy social media to the fullest.

Social media websites can operate as both curses and blessings in our modern society. The difference between it
as a curse and a blessing all hangs on the shoulders of its users. You may choose to abuse the potential of
Facebook, or to change the world with Twitter. The difference in your actions may be small, but the end result
varies greatly, and it is up to you to decide social media's role in your life.
The moderator of the debate Dr Shalini Ajith concluded the debate by saying that social
networking sites are a double-edged sword. Whether they are a blessing or a curse to society is
for the user to decide. It

So is social media a blessing or a curse? It is neither. It is a change that has to inform our practice

Whether social media is a boon or a curse, is a matter of debate. However, one thing which
cannot be denied is that it too difficult to abstain from it. The advantages of being connected
to people and keeping yourself updated have undoubtedly made our lives faster, happier and
convenient at the same time. The challenges which come along with social media can
somehow be kept aside and we can definitely move forward with the advancement it has
provided in our daily lives.