Social media, sugar or poison
Today’s internet, Web2.0 is popular for its usability and interoperability. Simply put, web 2.0 is the second version of the World Wide Web, which empowers the traditional audience to generate content and interact with each other. Everyday interactions on Facebook and other online social platforms with different kinds of photos, articles, status and Youtube video pops up have all been generated by internet users like you and me, and there are 2 billion other active social media users around the globe. There is no shortage of ways to spend our time and share our ideas.
Nowadays, digitals play an important role in our everyday lives and careers. When we choose to go digital, we are kind of agreeing to trade some of our privacy for the privilege of using web services and more importantly, to develop bonds with peers and others. According to Shea Benett’s article, 18 percent of social media users cannot go a few hours without checking Facebook, and 28 percent of iPhone users check their Twitter feed before getting up in the morning.
I have to admit that I am the kind of person who immediately checks my phone as soon as I wake up to see if anyone uploaded any photos after I went to bed, and I believe I am not the only one. Social media is addictive and it is suggested by a study from the University of Chicago that social media can be more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol. With the hours that so many people spend on social media, its influence on us cannot be understated.
I assume that almost everyone has experienced friends on Instagram who love to post their daily life status or where they just had lunch and what it was. Every moment in their life is captured as a best picture of themselves, and they brand themselves with a certain kind of lifestyle that people love to see to get more likes on their Instagram page.
As Gladwell noted, ‘social networks are good at increasing participation by lessening the level of motivation that participation requires.” In other words, the Internet and its technologies make it easier for smaller and smaller actions to still be considered worthwhile participation. It is not difficult to understand why people are so addicted to it. Social media can make normal people self-made celebrities, getting attention and perhaps simply pursuing their own narcissism.
While people seem overly concerned about the effects of social media, their sentiments are easily being influence. Several brain studies have found that ‘retweets’ and ‘likes’ give users a boost of feel-good brain chemicals, while a lack of endorsement can provoke anger and anxiety, and this is similar to the feelings of people with substance abuse problems. Negative emotions will drive social media addicts to spend more and more time to find a way to boost their popularity online, making it hard to get out of that loop.
The criticism of social media meshes with the undeniable fact that most people are not immune to the hazards of the newly developed online world. Its proliferation has induced many unintended consequence for public users — many have found themselves addicted to social media and cannot find ways to get rid of it. It also relates to the alienation many of us feel in a world where communication takes place in digital space and can sometimes feel like being forced into a digital screen prison. It is a shame that social media, which was supposed to be a tool that freed people to connect with each other no matter where they were and share thoughts and moments in their life for pleasure, has now ironically turned into a space that promotes dependence and emotional uncertainty.
From my personal point of view, the extent to which personal information is disclosed online should be a personal choice. Compared to the consequences of addictions to drugs, alcohol and gambling, people’s compulsive use of the internet is not serious. It is true that we are now largely depending on the online media. However, it is important to use everything in moderation and not go too far. Ask yourself what you can attain from the internet and what you can contribute to it. Maybe you would want to stop scrolling your phone with the never-ending facebook status and have a rest without it.
