Yes friends, life without social media would be so plain, simple and boring. Social media can indeed change the life of a person dramatically
- Social media can harm the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents, but the effects of social media on adolescent mental health are not fully understood
Tasneem Hossain | Bangladesh
Matilda logged in to her Facebook account and posted her new profile picture. Within a minute comments rolled in. “You’re so pretty!” “Gorgeous!” “Omg! Adorable!” Matilda felt on top of the world. Euphoric, she logged out.
Tousif has been counting how many reactions and comments have been posted on his latest win as badminton champion. He feels it’s not enough. There should be more comments applauding him. He can’t sleep.
Well, yes, these are two typical situations of what happens when you are on social media.
Every tool has its own share of effects on us and the society as a whole. Social media has also affected our society to a large extent, both positively and negatively.
Technological advancement has made our lives constantly linked to the world through various platforms including social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter etc. These platforms occupy our lives to a point where it’s unimaginable to live without them.
Though, researchers have time and again demonstrated the importance of breaking away from these platforms, I would like to differ a little.
Yes friends, life without social media would be so plain, simple and boring. I, for once, would say that social media can indeed change the life of a person dramatically. You know why? Well, I used to write poems in a diary and read during my leisure. I never thought of sharing those with anyone. For the last five years, I became a little active on Facebook and started posting my poems. My friends started eulogizing and encouraged me to publish. Their encouragement worked and within the last three years I have published three poetry books and a book of articles. One has been published in USA -that also through the courtesy of Facebook connection.
Furthermore, I am now an op-ed writer due to a story that I posted on Facebook. The chief editor (someone I met on Facebook) of one of the most widely circulated online newspapers, saw that and encouraged me to write an article for his paper and that was the start.
How can I complain?
Without social media many talents would go unnoticed. These platforms, sometimes, help people discover their potentials and gain fame.
Social media is a great facilitator of connections. Many of my friends have found me on FB and vice versa. Some of whom I lost 45 years back. It helps us to overcome barriers of distance and time, and provides access to information and opportunities, strengthening personal and professional networks. Keeping in touch with friends is harder without social media.
Many married couples, nowadays, first met on Facebook. Some of the marriages worked out some didn’t. It’s Just like meeting face to face and getting married -some work, some don’t.
Those who don’t support social media might say friendships on social media aren’t worth maintaining in the first place. They are not true friends. Friends are people you meet, spend time with, laugh and cry with in real life.
Well, I would like to differ on that too. In real life also we get to know friends some real some fake. In my experience I have quite a few friends on Facebook, whom I haven’t even met. They have supported me in ways which even real life friends haven’t.
Of course there are some disadvantages too.
Our happiness levels can be affected by what we see on social media. With the exposure of others’ beautiful lives, we start comparing ourselves and our achievements to theirs and feel unhappy and incompetent. But what we see are colored collages of their wonderful lives behind which there can be heartaches. Yet, when we see these, we end up feeling depressed for our not so beautiful lives.
Addictive use of social media is one of the main causes of depression among many people. Many users constantly check their phones at night or wake up in the middle of the night and scroll through their social media platforms disrupting their sleep patterns.
Moreover, when we read something that makes us sad, jealous, confused, and angry or upset, our anxiety levels increase. Also, Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) often leads to continuous checking of social media sites. These obsessions sometimes lead to stress, depression and sleeplessness. This constant scrolling is also one of the main causes of accidents on the road.
‘Social media can harm the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents, but it also said the effects of social media on adolescent mental health are not fully understood. The research is inconclusive and somewhat contradictory. But the surgeon general himself acknowledged there are benefits.’- quotes an article in the New Yorker May 25, 2023 issue.
‘The surgeon general’s warning Tuesday about social media’s “profound risk of harm” to young people included a significant qualification. For some of them, the warning said, social media can be beneficial to health in important ways.’
Professor Jessica Fish, University of Maryland School of Public Health, specially mentioned young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. “It’s a lifeline for folks to receive information and to really see that they are not alone, and there are so many people like them…’ ‘They can feel some sense of connection, and realize there is a place for them.’
There is also evidence that it serves as an excellent stress reliever. People battling against stress, depression, and loneliness from mental health disorders connect with each other and the feeling of oneness helps in improving their mental health.
However, Social media in general has been associated with body dissatisfaction because users consistently compare themselves to the edited perfect features and physique of others which affects negatively on their own body-image.
But then again, seeing those pictures may inspire us to take care of our health rather than despair and be more conscious about our health- right?
Additionally, Social media has given everyone a voice which can bring about some pretty big changes. We can show support for movements across different countries just like supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Furthermore, Social Media has become an excellent tool for fundraising for different noble causes.
Facebook helps us to remember birthdays and made it easier to wish and send a card. Dinner reservations and shopping to news reports, weather forecasts and different traditions and cultures are only a keystroke away.
People can make money by selling clothes, household items, and pieces of jewelry online making it easier for consumers. This exposure has boosted trade, allowing economies to flourish.
Unfortunately, people’s spending habits have been influenced by what their friends or ‘influencers’ share on social media leading to misuse of money.
Yet, it has made it possible for millions of people to have new job opportunities like social media specialists, writers, photographers, designers, artists and more. It has also become a space for job recruitment, making it easier to employ people and get employed on platforms like LinkedIn.
Nevertheless, we spend hours reading through our feeds, which can contribute to decreased productivity. We can use those hours positively to boost our productivity and work more efficiently; spend time with family and friends and focus on our own health and well-being.
Users’ privacy is at stake. Some of the dangers faced by users are stalking, identity theft, personal attacks, and misuse of information. Most of the time, the users are to blame as they share content that should remain private.
Privacy settings must be constantly updated and profiles locked to avoid such mishaps.
Cyberbullying is common affecting the mental health of users, especially teens.
While social media is often blamed for students not paying attention in school, there is also evidence that it enhances their learning experiences. A 2020 study published in the journal Smart Learning Environments found that when social media was used for collaborative learning, it had great positive impact on the interaction between peers and teachers with positive academic performance. “Use of online social media for collaborative learning facilitates students to be more creative, dynamic, and research-oriented….It is purely a domain of knowledge.”
It’s a misconception that if we stop using social media, we’ll use phones less. There are many other options available like games, YouTube, movies and thousands of websites that we can use.
However, it’s recommended to limit our time on social media for our overall health, be it mental, emotional and physical.
The best way to use social media is to lock our profiles and share less personal information. Limit friends to only those whom we really know and who bring a sense of well-being to us. Restricting the friend list will result in less notifications too.
Whether life with or without social media is better is a matter of debate. It depends on how you use it. With a calculated approach filter out the negative, restrict your social media exposure; use it for the right reasons and for a limited period. Enjoy social media to its fullest by breathing in your positivity.
The positive impact of social media is tremendous. The challenge is to lessen the misuse, by teaching digital literacy to everyone.
Life cannot be static. We need to move on wisely, making the best use of the technological advantages it brings.
References:
- Miller, Claire Cain, For One Group of Teenagers, Social Media Seems a Clear Net Benefit, The New York Times, May 24, 2023
- Beaulieu, Danielle, WHAT IF SOCIAL MEDIA DIDN’T EXIST? June Art, March 7, 2023
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Tasneem Hossain is a multilingual poet, columnist, op-ed and fiction writer, translator, educator and training consultant. She writes poems in English, Urdu, and Bengali. As an op-ed writer, she has authored over 130 articles. Several of her articles and poems are utilized as teaching material in universities and academies across various countries; some have been referenced in university research papers. She is author of three poetry collections—Grass in Green, The Pearl Necklace, and Floating Feather and a book of articles ‘Split and Splice’, she also leads an international poetry project and group called Life in Lyrics. Additionally, four more books are currently in progress. Her powerful writings are regularly featured in esteemed publications around the globe. A number of her poems have been translated into ten languages and published in literary journals across 30 countries. She has also been interviewed on various literary platforms in recognition of her contributions to world literature. She served as a faculty member of Business English at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology. Currently, she is the director of the prominent human resource development organizations, Continuing Education Centre (Bangladesh), and Cansaz Services and Distribution LLC (Canada). With 27 years of experience, she is a highly regarded Business English Language and Communication Management trainer. She actively participates in sports whenever the opportunity arises. For 10 years, she worked as a newscaster, commentary reader, interviewer and radio presenter for Radio Bangladesh. She has also directed plays, including Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
(First published on bdnews24.com)
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