Manuel Moreno Tapia

The Impact of Social Media on Young People

It is undoubted that with the advent of the internet a great number of other tools came in. One
of the most amazing is social media. We have to admit nobody can live without it. Wanting or
not everybody is condemned to have at least one of them otherwise you may lose connection
with the virtual world. So exactly how does social media impact us, especially to the young
generations?

On the one hand, we have to admit that social media offers a great opportunity for many young
professionals to exchange ideas and learn from others around the world. For instance, my oldest
son who is an art director is always connected with other designers from different parts of the
world to exchange experiences and why not embark on projects in a global way. This is amazing
considering that not so far in the last century this was unthinkable or hardly probable.

On the other hand, despite all the benefits that they can provide, they are also considered a
lethal weapon if they are used for criminal purposes or to influence and persuade people to
behave in one way or another. A case in point is when YouTubers or influencers spread their
ideas to the younger ones. Nobody can deny how vulnerable this sector is and how easy is to
persuade them to do things, especially when they are so exposed without any parental
supervision.

On balance, the most important impact of social media is the great opportunity they bring to
everybody to be an open book to receive and provide knowledge. In summary, social media
used in appropriately can benefit people whilst when they are used for other dark purposes,
may become a threat, especially to young people.