Social media, friend or foe?

Social Media,
Friend or Foe?
By: Tharshni Jeevaratnam
photo retrieved from Pexels

As of January 2017,
there are 2.789
billion active
social media users
[5]

Facebook dominates
the social landscape. It
has 1.65 billion
monthly active users
and 1.09 billion daily
active users, on average
[5]

Social media has many advantages, one of them being, the network
of multinational connectivity with friends and family [1]

It also allows for self-expression and can serve as a creative outlet for individuals to
express themselves, share their artwork and share their voice on specific topics. [1]

Moreover, the burst of technology has opened up new job opportunities. However
many of them require the skills of digital literacy, the ability to use information and
communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information,
requiring both cognitive and technical skills.

According to
Hubspot, 92% of
marketers in 2014
claimed that social
media marketing was
important for their
business [1]

Social media also
helps raise
awareness through
online petitions and
Facebook status
campaigns

It enables mobile
giving, online
donations made
via SMS, at one’s
fingertips

Along with its
benefits, social
media has a dark
side that is
beginning to
surface[4]

The dark side of
social media is a
reality that not many
people are aware of.
It puts users in a
vulnerable position
for privacy risks. [2]

“Sometimes you can
be surrounded by
people and feel like
the loneliest person
in the world.”
-Alex Gatenby, “The Dark Side of Social
Media” [4]

Symptoms of anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder can be
triggered by the overuse of social media [7] [11]

Lack or difficulty in
self-control and exposed
to peer pressure can
make adolescents
vulnerable and predators
and cyberbullying [4] [10]

"Online you become the self
you want to be. But the
downside? We lose the raw,
human part of being with
each other.”
-Sherry Turkle [8]

Social media is changing with way we think. We now prioritise sharing content to our online connections above enjoying the
moment with those around us. As a result, we become isolated from reality. If we spend more time doing this than engaging
with face-to-face communication, our identity becomes split between who we really are and what we want people to see. [3]

“With all the powerful social
technologies at our
fingertips, we are more
connected - and potentially
more disconnected - than
ever before.”
-Susan Tardanico [13]

The amount of likes or shares you receive do not define who you are or your self-worth. It’s important to
remember that the experience of being able to communicate in person, network in person and form
relationships with others outweighs that of social media. [13] [14]

A conscious, monitored use
of social media may be a
start in protecting yourself
from the dangers of social
media. It can also help one
become more self-aware of
their detachment to reality.
[12]

Back to the original question, is social media a friend or foe?

Social media has impacted
society for better and for
worse. Ultimately, it is up to
us to decide how you view
social media and how you
allow it to either benefit or
harm your life.

References
● [1] Agrawal, AJ. "It's Not All Bad: The Social Good Of Social Media." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 18 Mar. 2016. Web. 01
June 2017.
● [2] Cohen, Sam. "Privacy Risk with Social Media." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Nov. 2016. Web.
01 June 2017.
● [3] Garbutt, Leo. "Social Media Is Changing the Way We Think." HuffPost UK. The Huffington Post, 10 June 2014.
Web. 01 June 2017.
● [4] Gatenby, Alex. "The Dark Side of Social Media." HuffPost UK. The Huffington Post, 02 Dec. 2016. Web. 01 June
2017.
● [5] Kemp, Simon. "Digital in 2017: Global Overview." We Are Social UK. We Are Social UK, 24 Jan. 2017. Web. 01 June
2017.
● [6] Kielburger, Marc And Craig. "Global Voices: 'Liking' Must Be Followed up with Real-world Action." Times
Colonist. Times Colonist, 12 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 June 2017.
● [7] Konnikova, Maria. "HOW FACEBOOK MAKES US UNHAPPY." The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 10 Sept. 2013.
Web. 01 June 2017.
● [8] Lange, Catherine De. "Sherry Turkle: 'We're Losing the Raw, Human Part of Being with Each Other'." The
Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 04 May 2013. Web. 01 June 2017.
● [9] Murphy, Kate. "First the Camera, then the Fork." New York Times (1923-Current file): 2. Apr 07 2010. ProQuest.
Web. 1 June 2017 .
● [10] Paul, Pamela. "Cyberparenting and the Risk of T.M.I." New York Times, 5 May 2013, p. 8(L). Academic OneFile,
Accessed 1 June 2017.
● [11] Ramasubbu, Suren. "Influence of Social Media on Teenagers." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26
May 2015. Web. 01 June 2017.
● [12] Shellabarger, Ruth Anne. "Social Media's Impact On Society." Odyssey. The Odyssey Online, 16 Aug. 2016. Web.
01 June 2017.
● [13] Tardanico, Susan. "Is Social Media Sabotaging Real Communication?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 Apr. 2014.
Web. 01 June 2017.
● [14] Turkle, Sherry. "The Documented Life." New York Times, 16 Dec. 2013, p. A25(L). Academic OneFile, Accessed 1
June 2017.

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