Social Media Impact

Through the aspect of social media within Unit 3, we looked at websites that had statistics on how people use social media and how they feel about it. We also took a quiz to see if we were addicted to social media.

Social Media Addiction Quiz Results:

My results were that I have a healthy relationship with social media. I was surprised to get this, to be honest. I have recently been better about getting off of it sooner, but I sometimes doomscroll on YouTube before bed. I don't feel the need to check social media constantly, and I only usually check it to respond to my friends or send snap streaks on Snapchat. I occasionally spend a decent amount of time on Pinterest, but I am usually able to get off of it when I want to. Overall, I like my results and I agree with them.

Social Media Statistic:

I found a statistic that says of the 64% of adults who say social media has a negative impact, 28% of them say they believe this because of misinformation/made up news (Auxier, 2020). The image to the right of this text box shows the results of the survey taken. I thought this was interesting because social media would not be the place I go to if I want the hard truths and facts about life. I guess it depends on the site you visit, but to my understanding, majority of the information presented on social media is done so by average people who don't know much about what they are talking about. So, you can trust what you read or watch on social media as much as you would a conversation with a stranger on the street.

a rant of My Opinion of Social Media's Impact on Society:

To me, social media is kind of like a magazine that you and other people can edit virtually. It's used for advertising and communication. It's like Wikipedia. You may not go there first if you want information on a serious topic, but it is still worth checking every once in a while for things you're fine with finding out may be wrong (so not information on politicians or what they are doing). Social media is also a great way to communicate with people whether you see them often in person or not. There are so many positives to social media that people seem to purposely ignore. The phrase "don't shoot the messenger" should apply to social media as well. People like to blame what is easy to and popular to blame. If people use it irresponsively, that is not the software's fault. Companies and industries are the viewers of the reality TV show we play before them every time we complain about what is going on in the world. They win as long as we give them a show because they make money either way, sometimes even making more money if we use their creations to type these complaints out. Social media has the power to impact whatever we allow it to. I have learned not to trust a lot of the facts about the state of the world that I see on social media, so I have limited social media to a place of entertainment and fun. I see Bible verses people share, recipes, dance challenges, and workout videos. If you don't like an aspect of social media, indulging in it is bound to upset you. It makes perfect sense that people think social media has mostly a negative impact when all they allow themselves to see is what they don't like seeing.

Lessons Learned:

I have learned through this assignment that psychology really can be applied to every situation. Perhaps what upsets people the most is that deep down, they know social media doesn't cause them to feel a certain way, but it reminds them of the emotions they already feel inside, so they take it out on social media instead of working through it. If you don't like social media because of the misinformation being spread, why do you keep reading it? Maybe you want something to take your anger out on. If you don't know what to believe on social media, I would recommend reading fictional stories so that you can still be entertained, and at least then you know it's fiction. But I especially recommend trying to find out why you feel so displeased with not knowing the truth if it is very difficult to find when it is specifically not necessary for your wellbeing for you to know. There is a difference between voicing your concerns and complaining, and it mostly lies with intention. Ask yourself why you do what you do and figure out your roots. If you don't like social media because of how it impacts your mental health and makes you feel insecure, I suggest talking to someone about the feelings that have been reawakened by absorbing what you see online. Bottom line is, therapy does a lot more than social media ever could if you only want to use it for emotional displacement. There are plenty of people out there who are trained to help you. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

Sources: (APA)

Auxier, B. (2020, Oct. 15). 64% of Americans say social media have a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the U.S. today. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/10/15/64-of-americans-say-social-media-have-a-mostly-negative-effect-on-the-way-things-are-going-in-the-u-s-today/

Team, E. (2023, Jan 25). Am I addicted to social media? Quiz. Time To Log Off. https://www.itstimetologoff.com/wp_quiz/am-i-addicted-to-social-media-quiz/

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