Abstract

Due to the profit motive that major social media sites operate on, social media companies generally tend to operate unethically and in a way that is harmful to their users’ privacy and mental health. Despite this, the vast majority of young adults actively use social media. In this study, I will observe some of the harmful effects of social media use, attempt to contextualize social media as an effective tool for social control as well as an example of the operation of capitalist ideology in modern society, and suggest possible solutions/improvements that can be made to negate some of the effects of the prevalence of social media.