The Dark Side of Social Media
How many of you here stay every day on your phone for hours scrolling in TikTok or Instagram whatever? Have you realized how much time you waste? or negative impacts of social media. we have become involuntarily directed by social media. We follow every trend, we keep abreast of its latest updates, and we do not care whether it affects or not caring about it. And no one wants to admit its negatives, or we don’t realize them. Today I am going to be talking about things in social media that affect us. How do they affect? how one browse or do limitations to social media.
Social media is still a problem, and it has become a bigger problem in this era. I am not saying that the whole social media is an issue, but there are things that we should be aware of. The social media industry mostly cares about profits over users. They urge somehow people to do things that they are not supposed to do, promoting/showing unethical content that can affect all ages/both genders which also could be addictive. It should be noted that the addiction to using social media on the Internet occurs when one uses these sites excessively and negatively that affects the daily tasks performed by the user, and this addiction affects users, as studies indicate that users who are addicted to the social media have some mental illnesses, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, or even anxiety, and other negative matters such as lack of attention, isolation, and introversion. Some users seek to post inappropriate content just to have a source of income and that is what the social media industry cares about. Distraction and time waste are other issues. If you are crazy about something that takes time, you cannot help it, so you will spend a lot of time on it. Most people, when they wake up, and before they sleep, are checking their phone, thus, it takes time
Social media uses algorithms that track users, so the more likes, shares, comments, even just browsing specific content, they recommend what ones seek. So, it could also be an issue for users, especially kids and teens because of the harmful content that also could be addictive, which all of this for profit’s sake. Megan Mcclusky says, “Popular video platforms like TikTok and YouTube have also come under fire for employing algorithmic recommendation systems that can lead viewers down dangerous—and addictive—rabbit holes, with the New York Times reporting in December that a copy of an internal document detailing the four main goals of TikTok’s algorithm was leaked by a source who was “disturbed by the app’s push toward ‘sad’ content that could induce self-harm”.
There are many tips and limitation tools that can guide the user to adjust and limit his use of different social networking sites. tracking social networking sites to know and control the amount of time the user spends through this, then be in the progress of reducing time. Most of the apps have a “limit time” feature, enable, and get used to it. Turn off notifications of the apps that are not socially important, as these notifications encourage the user to open and use these media. Cancel user accounts on social media if not benefit you or positively entertain you. Finding new interests and finding a better lifestyle. Always think of how algorithms work and know what to look for in social media. For instance, skip or press the “not interested” option. It is a way that helps to have better content.
Finally, I believe that people should be aware of these things, and the parents should track and know what their kids are using. While also educational institutions could play a role in raising awareness to kids and teenagers about how social media can be negatively affected and how they impact you. and solutions and ways for positive usage.
References
Mcclusky, M. (2022, January 4). How Addictive Social Media Algorithms Could Finally Face a Reckoning in 2022. Times. Retrieved from https://time.com/6127981/addictive-algorithms-2022-facebook-instagram/
Musa, D. (2020, August 3). How Social Media is Ruining Your Life One Day at a Time. AfterSchoolAfrica. Retrieved from https://www.afterschoolafrica.com/50029/how-social-media-is-ruining-your-life-one-day-at-a-time/
Bond, S. (2022, January 3). 2022 will be a tense year for Facebook and social apps. Here are 4 reasons why. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2022/01/03/1064970545/facebook-instagram-twitter-2022-challenges-social-media#:~:text=Press-,FacebookInstagramandsocialappsfacepressureinU.S.and,compe