Social Media includes websites or applications that enable
users to share content, communicate, network, and collaborate with each other.
In July 2012, Americans spent 121.1 billion minutes (2
billion hours) on social media alone.
If Facebook were a country, it could be the third largest
country in the world.
Over 5 million Facebook users are under the age of 10.
(Forbes)
GOOD
News
•
It overpowers radio, TV, newspapers,
etc.
•
Back in the day you had to wait for
tomorrow’s newspaper or tune in to the TV or radio to hear breaking news. Now
through Twitter, Buzzed, and Snapchat you are able to know what’s going on in
the news the minute it happens.
•
This makes us more globally aware and
knowledgeable citizens.
Education
•
Canvas SJSU- see grades, talk to professors
and students, comment on assignments, and be able to access educational
resources.
•
Through social media, both students and
professionals are able to conduct research with a wider audience to challenge
each other’s thoughts and ideas.
•
It enhances campus involvement because
students know what’s going on with events and clubs on campus.
Campaigning
•
It raises awareness, gives voices to
people, and promotes social movements.
•
Once something goes viral it can reach
millions of users.
•
Crowd funding/ Crowd surfing such as
sites like GoFundMe can raise up to millions of dollars for charities and
fundraisers that go to good causes.
•
#BlackLivesMatter movement is raising
awareness for the injustice towards African Americans
•
Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube
at age 12 and now his new album Purpose has been the fastest album to reach 1
billion streams because of social media.
•
LGBT community have more of a voice on
social media, it makes them feel as if they are not fighting alone.
•
People with common interests can connect
on social media. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what you look like, or what
you do.
Business
•
There are conference calls, business
meetings, and interviews done through Skype and video chat sessions. This saves
money and enhances productivity in the workforce.
•
LinkedIn is a professional social
network that helps recruiters find employees specified to their qualifications.
1/6 job seekers find their job through social media.
•
There are social media guidelines set up
to make sure the employees and company is well represented.
•
Job stimulation- There are now positions
such as Social Media Specialist, and people are making tons of money through
YouTube and social media sites through sponsors.
•
Local businesses use social media like
Yelp to advertise their business.
•
Economy- McKinley Global Institute study
showed that it can help the economy up to $1.3 trillion.
•
Facebook made up to 4.5 million jobs.
Personal Relationships
•
People are able to stay connected with
their loved ones from across the globe.
•
They are enabled face to face
interaction.
•
You can build relationships with new
people- Match, Tinder, etc.
•
It connects people, builds relationships
between industries and communities, bringing the world together as a
whole.
BAD
Too much information
•
This can lead to false and misleading
information with unreliable sources.
•
they can share our perception because
big corporations pay for users to have a certain political view or show false
advertisements and sponsorships.
Education
•
Most students are too distracted in
class and they are on their phones or laptops scrolling through social media.
•
Emerging Adulthood Social Media study
showed that 20% of grades, gpa, test scores lowered for active social
media students.
•
There are also more opportunities
for cheating.
•
Copyright rights are violated.
Eric Pickersgill- photographer who had a project called
“Removed” to show people’s addictions to their phones and social media. Instead
of connecting people, it separates them.
Safety
•
You don’t know who’s behind the screen
•
When something goes viral, it never
leaves the internet and it can damage someone’s reputation forever.
•
Cyberbullying leads to suicide deaths
•
Sexting leads to criminal charges.
◦
underage
◦
workforce
◦
teacher and student
•
Inappropriate relationships
◦
Cheating leads to divorce
◦
Catfish
•
People take it seriously if
relationships are not Facebook official.
•
Opens doors for fraud and scams.
•
140 million fake Facebook
accounts.
•
43% of children under the age of 12 have
messaged strangers.
Health
•
Lack of face to face interaction and
increase of narcissistic tendencies
•
Immediate rewards with little effort
releases dopamine and brain scans have showed that it has the same brain
impairments as drug addiction
◦
psychological addiction, not substance
addiction
•
No multitasking- it affects attention,
emotion, and decision making
•
Nervous system- Can’t commit to
information to memory
•
Phantom Vibration Syndrome
◦
Itch is perceived to brain as
a false vibration or ringing of phone
Distraction from present moment
•
When you wake up, you check your phone.
•
When you go to school, you’re scrolling
through Facebook.
•
When you eat, you take a picture of your
meal. Filter it, then caption it, and #hastag
•
When you’re home, you watch Netflix and
scroll through social media..
•
It’s a cycle between social media
accounts.
•
You have hundreds and thousands of
followers but how many do you really catch up with and connect with? You
probably don’t have a conversation with them or catch up with them because you
know where they are and what they are doing through social media.
•
It alters your self- worth
◦
You get happy when people like your
pictures-
▪
Releasing dopamine- causing addiction
•
You release your anger on social media
instead of talking it out with someone face to face.
◦
Feeds are filled with negativity.
◦
There will always be a hater.
•
First there was no face to face
conversation because of text, and now words aren’t even being exchanged, emojis
are explaining feelings
•
Party? Snap it.
•
Hiking? IG it.
•
Wedding- filled with photographers and
videographers
◦
You forget to live in the moment and
understand that a wedding is a celebration of love between two people.
•
You’re too busy trying to capture
the moment than live in it.
Opinion
•
There is always a choice- a good and bad
side to things, especially with social media.
•
But since there is so much daily
exposure to social media, you can’t really help but become addicted to it.
•
It has psychological and emotional
effects to our health.
•
There’s so much information being spread
that it’s supposed to connect us, but we actually lose ourselves and get
separated.
•
There are campaigns and news to inform
us, but it creates biases and pressures to pick a side.
•
Our minds are being controlled instead
of educated.
•
We know more about where you friend is
at, what they ate, and what they are doing than to what really goes on in the
world.
•
Social media was made with good
intentions, but is becoming a destructive addiction.
