Social Media: the Good and the Bad

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Compared to the early 2000’s social media has reached a level unimaginable, it is everywhere, on your phone, spoken about in your conversations or being advertised anywhere you look. On the other hand, when social media was new it was something that was only seen when you got home on your desktop computer. Social media made it easier for people to connect with from anywhere and see their lives through apps. It also became a source of income for a lot of people, whether they’re a blogger, an influencer or post videos. A lot of people who use social media post everything; what they’re eating, what they’re wearing and even their location. With all the personal things people post on social media some may find it intrusive, but you’re in control of what is seen on your profile. If you’re not comfortable posting certain information about yourself then you always have the option not to. Social media can be invasive depending on how you want to use it.

In this day and age social media has grown and it effects many things in our everyday lives. While using social media it is important to be responsible and aware of what you post because you never know who’s looking at what you are sharing. Whether it’s not posting a picture of your location until after leave to prevent someone from using that information to target you, or not posting certain memes or jokes because a job you’re looking into is checking your social media accounts. Even though social platforms are supposed to be a fun place it’s still important to think about what you post and how it may affect you or even people around you.

A lot of good and bad can come from social media, depending on how it’s used. Some may use their platforms to spread positive messages or bring awareness to an issue, while others may use it to talk bad about others or to give false information. The #MeToo movement is an example of social media being used for something positive. One tweet from actress Alyssa Milano using the hashtag caused thousands of women to speak out about their own experiences with sexual harassment. Although Alyssa Milano didn’t create the Me Too movement, that’s all thanks to Tarana Burke, she used her massive following on social media to shed light on an issue that a lot of women have to deal with. That tweet opened the door for women to be able to have a voice and feel like they’re heard.

As time goes on social media will continue to be a source of entertainment, a career and the center of attention for its users. More apps will be released, there will always be a newer and better platform that’ll shift people’s focus. As people gain more experience with social media they may realize the power that it actually has and use it to bring awareness to social problems and to do more good than harm.