Did you know?
We touch our smartphones around 2000 times a day. As per the data released in the
report post-Covid – 19, people spent more than 7 hours a day using their smartphones and scrolling social media apps.
What is social media ?
Social media is a term we all are aware of. It has become an integral part of our lives. It refers to the platforms through which we can connect with our loved ones and communicate with them. We can build a community of people having similar interests and share information with them. Social media has become so important in our day-to-day lives that we can't even imagine our life without these platforms. On the one hand, it proved to be a very important tool for the betterment of our lives, while on the other, it has become an addiction for people that feel stressed when they are away from their smartphones.
Social media platforms
There are a variety of social media platforms that have different targeted audiences. Some of them are-
- Facebook (now meta): Through which we can connect with the people we know and the people we want to know, we can chat with them and share our ideas and build community.
- Instagram: It is becoming very popular these days. It has a target audience base who want to share their day-to-day life with others through pictures and reels.
- Twitter: It is a platform for people who want to share their opinions on different issues and want to get an insight into what is happening around the world.
- WhatsApp: The most popular app for connecting with our relatives. We can chat with them, join family groups and share our joys and sorrows with our family from anywhere in the world.
- Pinterest: It is used for business purposes. It is an American social media platform through which various organizations advertise their products.
These platforms are just a few examples of social media. Some other famous platforms are Snapchat, Telegram Messenger, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.
Dominant users
- Youth: Almost all segments of society use social media, but the most dominant users are youngsters or young adults who spend a large portion of their time posting pictures and reels.
- Businesspersons: Social media platforms are now widely used by people to expand their business. From advertising to selling the final products, everything is done on social media.
- Students: Post Covid-19, there has been a sudden spike in online learning. Social media platforms like Zoom and google meet etc. were used to create a classroom environment and to impart education.
- Influential persons and celebrities: These people share their pictures across different platforms to connect with their fans.
Psychological effects of social media
Before coming to the pros and cons of social media let's explore its psychological impacts on our lives
Social media addiction is often compared to addiction to alcohol, cigarette smoking, gambling, etc. It is because of the dopamine patterns that any addiction follows.
Dopamine patterns
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is produced by the brain. It is related to rewards and motivation that we anticipate shortly. This anticipation increases dopamine levels in our brain and we feel excited and happy.
Dopamine plays an important role in the life of a normal human being when it is at an optimum level, but high or low levels of dopamine can be harmful for the brain.
When humans get rewards for what they were eagerly waiting for, dopamine levels lower to even baseline. And when they experience the same level of excitement and rewards every day, it results in a chronic dopamine deficit. They feel unexcited.
To experience the same level of happiness and excitement, humans need stimuli. So, they start doing the same activity for more time, which later becomes an addiction.
In the case of social media platforms, likes and comments are the rewards for what we post on social media. After posting a picture on social media, the thoughts coming to our mind are, "I am happy and I will do it again”, “only 200 likes and 10 comments, I want more, I should post something else.”
We are getting trapped in this addiction without knowing we are addicted.
How to overcome the addiction to social media
- Delete all social media apps: Ok, maybe a little too much, but it works. Access your profiles through browsers. social media apps are just a click away from us. We keep on checking them. Accessing a social media platform through a website takes a little bit more time which reduces the habit of checking social media after every 10 minutes.
- Turn off notifications: If you don’t want to delete the apps, turn off their notifications, so that you don’t feel excited to check them whenever your phone beeps. Instead, you check them when you want to check as per your convenience.
Pros
If social media is used cautiously, it can be a perfect tool for
- Connectivity: Through social media platforms, we can connect with anyone around the world. Gone are the days when we needed to write letters to our loved ones and wait for their reply for a long time.
- Building community: Using social media platforms, we can build a community of people who share similar interests and get ideas from many people in that field.
- Professional opportunities: people can showcase their talent through social media platforms. This can help them to get hired by people who are in search of talent. Nowadays, many reality shows invite applications for audition rounds via social media.
- Advertisements: almost every person uses social media platforms and businesspersons can expand the reach of their products and services by advertising their products on social media.
- Education: social media platforms like YouTube are used largely by educators to serve lectures online and expand their reach to students all over the world.
Cons
Every coin has two sides and social media is no exception. It can be maliciously used for
- spreading misinformation: Social media platforms are widely used for spreading false information that may trigger someone’s sentiments and may result in violence sometimes.
- Cyberbullying and harassment: Social media apps are widely used by bullies to harass people by stealing their personal information.
- Reducing productivity: Social media platforms reduce the productivity of people as they spend a lot of time on these platforms instead of going outside and doing physical activities.
Conclusion
We have discussed the multifaceted nature of social media. Its advantages, disadvantages, addiction, and ways to overcome addictions have been discussed. It is a huge transformation that has changed our lives. Now it is up to us how we use it. We should use social media apps with a balanced approach and get the best out of it.
