Social Media: Good or Bad?

It has always been said that there are good and bad sides to social media. Social media is both a powerful platform for people looking to advertise or to market brands or services. It’s also a way to keep up with the daily news of what’s going on around the world or in the United States.

Then there’s the bad side of social media and that includes the effects of it that are having big impacts on the world stage. You have President Donald Trump going after people on social media, attacking them either personally or professionally, although most of the times it’s personally. You have guys like Antonio Brown, who was just released by the Oakland Raiders, after a frustrating August where he was mad about the helmet issue and then was fed up with being fined time after time by the Raiders. Those fines resulted in him losing his guaranteed money, which he was definitely not pleased with. He went on social media to vent his anger and eventually found his way out, thanks in part to social media, where he asked the Raiders for his release so he can start over. He used the advantage of social media as a powerful way to get out of an unhappy situation. (Let’s face it: people are mostly unhappy when they go to the Raiders)

So what does this mean about social media? Is it good? Is it bad? Can it be both? And would we feel better and would things change if we went without it?

Despite the truth that social media can be considered a form of online bullying, as we have seen lately from some world leaders and trolls, social media is very powerful in creating change. It has allowed many people to reach out to those who want to reconnect, for those who work in the marketing world (like I do), and it’s used for those who just want the daily scores from any sports league. There’s tons of options that social media can be good for.

Here’s the advice, though: Don’t overuse it. Don’t be on there too much. We have already seen many heads and employees at these social media companies give a stern warning to the effects of social media. It can consume your life, it can turn negative if you’re on it too much, and it definitely can affect your relationships with even your close friends and relatives. 

I have experienced this firsthand when I was in the later years of high school and the early years of college, where I spent a lot of time on social media. I have spent countless hours on it at times, scrolling through times and interacting with the world. Eventually, overtime, I have discovered it has negatively affected the way I worked, the way I did schoolwork, and the way I looked at other people. I realized this well into my sophomore year of college, and I wanted to do something about it. So I decided to stop using it for many months. I eventually became calmer, much more positive, and opened myself up to more friendships and listening to other peoples’ point-of-view much more often than before. I think I changed my college life around pretty well, and I graduated in five years with a degree in English.

I feel like I need to do more to help kids and young adults understand what the effects are for social media. You should not use it that often, unless of course, it’s part of your job, such as my marketing internships. Even then, though, there are times you do want to go on it, to see what other people. That’s fine, but don’t overuse it. I learned that lesson and I want kids to know out there that social media will not solve all the problems you’re hoping to fix it. That’s where community and group thinking come in.

Social media is a tool for good and a tool for evil. Use it wisely and as I said many times before, don’t overuse it. The minute you overuse social media, you quickly start to change your personality, and probably not in a good way. I managed to get out of it very quickly in the middle of college. Last thing I would want for people is for social media to consume them because there are more important things in the world we could be doing, like schoolwork or jobs or helping your neighbors and friends. To me, that’s the most important thing that really changed my life. I hope it changes yours too!