Social media are online platforms through which individuals or groups which have similar interests can interact and share content and ideas. The number of social media has grown significantly over the last two decades, with the most popular being Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and WeChat. Numerous factors have contributed to this unprecedented growth, including the increased reach of internet connectivity and availability of mobile devices. Social media has had a negative impact on the society in several ways as hereunder elaborated.
Cyber bullying, which remains to be one of the most prominent concerns in social media use, is any kind of harassment perpetrated through an online platform. Given that interpersonal interaction happens much more on social media platforms than any other online sites, social media sites remain the best media for perpetrators to exploit. Cyber bullying on social media involves posting of sexual remarks, hate speech, rumors and any other undesirable behavior (Akram & Kumar, 2017). The scope and effects of cyber bullying have increased with the decrease of the minimum ages of social media users particularly because the ability to deal with negative opinions decreases with maturity. Internet trolling is a particular form of cyber bullying which has steadily increased. It occurs when information is posted and shared in the internet with the intent of eliciting reactions from the public towards the subject of the information (Siddiqui & Singh, 2016). Cyber bullying has led to increased prevalence of negative emotional responses, leading to lost self-esteem and suicidal ideation.
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Social media have long been associated with terrorism and international crime. Social media have inadvertently facilitated and eased terrorist recruitment particularly because of the access that terrorist organizations have to personal data from individual profiles (Amedie, 2015). Past behavioral trends can be used to determine the mental or psychological state of a person, the location, and other factors which help to determine whether a person would be a suitable candidate. Moreover, social media has been found to facilitate virtual support for “lone-wolf” terrorism (Akram & Kumar, 2017). Terror suspects who seem to have no links to known terrorism organizations or groups have been found to have had help from social media.
Among the most serious drawbacks of social media is false news. Social media are effective platforms for dissemination of news, particularly due to their wide reach, low costs and ease of use. Most traditional news media outlets have opened accounts on various social media platforms to take advantage of this new technology. Fake news has however pervaded the online platforms causing serious disruptions (Akram & Kumar, 2017). Given the importance of information in decision-making, the impact of false news can be devastating. The speed at which news spreads on social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allows a report to reach millions in minutes. A false claim of an attack at the US statehouse through an AP tweet in 2013, for instance, led to an instant plunge in stocks across several securities exchanges, illustrating the possible use of false news to destabilize economies.
Social media use has been linked to several mental health problems, whereby researchers have coined terms such as “Facebook depression.” Online interactions have been found to trigger depressive symptoms because of various factors (Amedie, 2015). People who spend most of their time on social media have fewer physical interpersonal relations with other people and, therefore, may lack proper support systems. Increased bullying and trolling on social media has also played a prominent role in destabilizing the users’ mental health. Further, addiction and wasted time on social media also induces feelings of helplessness, lack of control over one's life and worthlessness (Siddiqui & Singh, 2016). Moreover, instant messaging and social media interactions such as comments on photographs have been proven to increase the levels of anxiety among users. Social media also contributes to distorted self-image and decreased self-esteem, amplifying non-conformative physical features to seem like problems (Amedie, 2015). Teen social media users have been known to have an increased self-awareness. Other problems such as social media addiction also form under this category, given that they are behavioral disorders caused by an altered mental state.
Social media platforms have been used to execute fraud and scams. They are a tool for conmen to extort money out of unsuspecting victims (Siddiqui & Singh, 2016). While social media platforms have facilitated business transactions, they have also led to fraud. A common form of fraud is failure of clients to pay for virtual services received or goods dispatched, or failure of online businesses to deliver what has already been paid for (Akram & Kumar, 2017). Social media also increases the possibility of identity theft due to increased accessibility to an individual’s personal information. Most users are unaware of the numerous factors that could leave them vulnerable, including providing location information, posting personal photographs or videos or providing contacts.
In conclusion numerous drawbacks of social media are notable, including mental health problems, increased online fraud, cyber bullying and harassment, cybercrime and propagation of false information. Most of these drawbacks were unanticipated and have developed over time. It is necessary for all social media users to learn how to apply best practices in their use of the platforms to minimize the risks involved. Research continues on the impact of social media on society given that social media is a relatively new technology that has not existed longer than two decades and one that is continuously evolving.
References
Akram, W., & Kumar, R. (2017). A study on positive and negative effects of social media on society. International Journal of Computer Sciences and Engineering, 5 (10), 347-354.
Amedie, J. (2015). The impact of social media on society. Santa Clara University.
Siddiqui, S., & Singh, T. (2016). Social media its impact with positive and negative aspects. International Journal of Computer Applications Technology and Research, 5 (2), 71-75.
