However, when it is argued that social media serves as a platform for expressing thoughts, sharing information and identity, culture, religion and customs, addiction to it becomes a foregone conclusion.
Having revolutionized the way we communicate and connect with others. Social media platforms have become an indispensable part of our lives. It is however this popularity and the evident impact which makes its essential to examine the impact of social media on modern society.
For, social media in recent times has been much more than instant messaging and video calls which purportedly connects people and their loved ones across the seven seas.
An article, “The Impact of Social Media on Modern Society” by Turing takes a deep look into the influence of social media on public lives and terms it vast and multifaceted.
The main point that however comes across very vividly is the advice to exercise caution while navigating the challenges associated with privacy, mental health, misinformation, and polarization.
In an earlier article of mine I had mentioned very explicitly about the preoccupation with various social media platforms that could well be perceived as a distinct trait that sets apart the modern generation.
As an interest that translates to a near obsession, it has been difficult for many to get over the addiction. More than an addiction, it is one’s tryst with social media that has at times attracted unwanted attention.
One can well understand the extensive use of social networking sites, blogs, forums, microblogging, video/photo networks by entrepreneurs to further their business interests.
But for others who use it only ‘to pass time’, how beneficial is the huge amount of data that comes through as texts and posts courtesy the ‘forward’ option!
The race for ‘likes’ is that addictive motivation which drives thousands that want to be seen engrossed in the whole business of sharing videos and texts. At the same time, for the more innovative, creating or conniving to create eye-catching situations, the sky has been the limit.
But in this enthusiasm they forget that they are indulging in the most illogical, and at times, unethical manipulation.
Innovation opportunities are found in a few situations. The manner in which such situations are exploited by social media influencers however makes it difficult to realize how much of innovation is a flash of inspiration, and how much is hard work!
This is where one begins considering the discipline of innovation. It’s not only business, but even the most innocuous of acts like posting an innocent comment on a social media platform demands the sort of commitment that springs from a belief in the authenticity of the matter being posted.
Innovation like any other endeavour, takes talent, ingenuity, and knowledge. But the absurdity and unreliability of some of the posts doing the rounds in social media these days really turns one’s stomach.
Hate postings and online hate speeches have the potential to disturb the communal harmony in the region and will automatically invite criminal proceedings against the perpetrator.
While the benefits of social media have never been in doubt, it is the controversies created on social media platforms that have been more concerning.
For long now, people have been blindly accepting the ‘preventions and cures’ for various ailments which have been widely publicised on social media.
From suggestions of doing away with the modalities of conventional medicine to simple ways to manage one’s life-threatening diseases, social media has been a prolific updater on ‘alternative’ treatments for practically every disease known to mankind. More importantly, people have been quick to pounce on these tips to enhance one’s well-being.
After the horrors of the pandemic, the term ‘Infodemic’ coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the wake of a deluge of information on the internet to combat various ailments should have served as a timely reminder for people to be wary.
But no, the marked preference shown by the public at large to have social media recommendations guiding their curative approach on various health issues despite understanding the parameters of available treatment modes is really astounding!
Last week, a section of the press carried reports about medical experts asking the public to be judicious when it comes to medical advice on social media from celebrities or influencers.
This was in response to an Instagram story by an actress recommending an alternative treatment for ‘a common viral’.
Medical experts without exception are of the opinion that the authenticity of the information source is crucial, whether it’s from an influencer, a friend, or family. It is important to crosscheck information with healthcare professionals.
Why only health matters, social media has become a ready-reckoner for a host of other topics which usually calls for authorities in the field to access and assess data before putting forward any hypothesis on the subject.
“Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks.”
Yet its impacts on various aspects of an individual’s personal, social and professional life remain no secret!
But instances of turmoil brought about by false social media posts in so far as identifying misleading or false information has not been isolated or stray. It is difficult to gauge what makes the ‘perpetrators’ of such vile acts gloat over their ‘achievements’!
It thus becomes all the more important to use social media more responsibly!
