Social Media Is For Idiots
Social media is amazing, there is absolutely no denying it. The ability it provides to connect with old friends, new friends, and complete strangers is something that is treasured by all generations (even if it does take a considerable amount of explanation to most people above the age of thirty). But, as Uncle Ben tells dear ol’ Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility, and that is something which is often taken advantage of by many social media users.
The rise of social media has seen a rise in identity fraud, online ‘trolling’, and suicide. Yet, regardless of this, people still can’t seem to get enough of the internet phenomena. Many things have been blamed for these effects – the most common theory being that the anonymity allows the person to experience the effect of deindividuation – but the answer, plain and simple, is that people are inherently awful.
Identity Fraud — According to figures released in August, identity fraud has reached ‘epidemic levels’ within the UK, with incidences of fraud occurring up to 500 times a day and a record of 89,000 cases within the first half of this year. If you’ve seen Barclays’ Digital Safety television advertisement, you will know about how easy it is to gain every single piece of information needed for identity fraud by searching through someone’s social media page. Most people are so careless with their social media accounts that important information can quite easily be accidentally revealed. However, people are so trusting with their social media accounts and are far too willing to gain things like followers, friends and likes to really care or notice about who it is that can gain access to their information. Unfortunately, people take advantage of this self-obsession and desire to be popular by requesting to be a friend or follower and therefore being given the easiest availability to all the information they could possibly need.
Online Trolling — In 2015, a survey of 1,500 teenagers found that one in four teenagers suffered some form of online abuse and four in five either saw or heard about online abuse. Trolling has become one of the biggest problems of the internet, with sites having to have strict screening for their comments sections or just shutting them down altogether. Due to the public nature of social media outlets such as Twitter, trolling has not only become easier to do, but has also become easier to spot. Celebrities on Twitter suffer from it daily, and it is often seen throughout the news about how almost violent it is becoming. However, social media has allowed the internet to call out trolls, and has led to the ability for online trolls to be prosecuted for their actions due to the severely negative effects it can have on people.
Social Media and Suicide — Leading on from the effects of trolling, increasing rates of suicide have been connected to abuse through the use of social media and the bullying that goes on through public posting or behind private messaging. One of the most well-known cases was the suicide of a British teenager, Hannah Smith, who had suffered abuse on the social networking site Ask.Fm, including comments actually telling her to kill herself. Young adults can be easily manipulated, but it is hard to force someone to kill themselves if they don’t want to. However, unfortunately, the constant hammering of online abuse and the lasting effects it can have can make them feel as though suicide is an escape. This damaging belief is making social media almost poisonous, and not only damages the person that suffers, but also damages families who are broken by the aftermath.
So, what does all this mean for those of us who don’t choose to damage people’s lives through social media? Well, for one thing, I guess it can make you feel like a better person. But, it also shows our blind faith in something that is so incredibly damaging.
Social media certainly has its perks. I mean, I most certainly can’t take the high ground here, as I’m just as addicted to it as any other person. But I think most people would agree with me when I say that social media is something that is more evil than it is good. And that the fact that we continue to practically worship each and every social media platform shows one simple thing – social media really is for idiots.
With thanks to Rebekah Ashleigh.
