Why social media is the bane of society
By: Mac Dimidis
The rise of social media has altered the way we share information, communicate, and interact with others. However, there are many problems caused by it that negatively impact both individuals and society as a whole. Social media is destructive because it harms people’s mental health, can be addictive, makes people less productive, and can reinforce harmful echo chambers.
One of the key reasons why the rise of social media is a problem for society is its negative effects on user’s mental health. Mental stability is important for individuals and communities alike because it makes people less prone to crime, more resilient in the face of challenges, and better at supporting others. These traits are important because they help make society safe, resilient, and supportive. Popular social media influencers are often successful because they are talented or have a rare characteristic that makes them interesting. This could be anything from physical appearance, musical talent, or skill in sports. However, this causes social media users to often compare themselves to social media influencers and set themselves unrealistic standards that can lead to self-hate and depression. Also, 41% of teens with the highest most spent time on social media, say that their mental health is poor or very poor. Coupling this with social media’s addictiveness, the number of people with bad mental health rises over time.
Another problem with the rise of social media is that it is addictive. Thirty-nine percent of social media users admit to feeling the addictive lure of social media and 9 percent admit to being addicted. Denial, however, is also one of the stages of addiction, meaning that although these numbers may seem small they are likely higher. Addiction poses a problem because consistently being attached to social media reduces real-world interactions. Face-to-face interactions are important for society because they foster teamwork skills, so limiting real-world interactions would make it difficult for anything to get done.
Social media is a problem for society because it tends to make people less productive. Many social media platforms have short-form video content or enable their posts to be scrolled or swiped through if the user isn’t interested in the video. Spending time scrolling through short-form content causes the impulse to switch tasks frequently, and avoid unenjoyable tasks. This impulse is very bad for productivity because in life you have to do things you may not like, impulsively putting them off or skipping them is bad. Switching between tasks constantly doesn’t allow someone to give what they’re working on their full attention lowering their productivity even more. Social media is problematic for society because it creates an unproductive workforce that would be inefficient at handling long-term tasks.
The last key reason why social media is becoming a problem is because it creates echo chambers, areas that reinforce people’s already formed ideas. Social media creates these echo chambers by using algorithms designed to show people information that they are interested in. The problem with this, however, is that it is important to have explored a wide range of ideas. Exposure to different ideas leads to creative thinking and open-mindedness. These are both important characteristics for people to have to create a good society.
Social media causes mental health complications, is addictive, lowers productivity, and creates echo chambers. As social media continues to grow the problems associated with it grow as well. In a world where our lives in and offline become increasingly intertwined, it’s important to remember that social media holds substantial risks.
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